Parenting: A Different Battlefield
by WildSilence023
Summary: AU. Parental!RoyAi. General Roy and Major Riza Mustang adopt the Elric brothers shortly after Trisha Elric's passing. It took some time to adjust, but eventually, the new Mustang/Elric family settled into semi-domestic life. One-shot collection, not necessarily in order, but all connected to this premise. Root (chapter 1) prompt: "Who did this to you!"
1. First Responders and Back-up

**AN:** I got a _little_ obsessed with the "Parental!RoyAi adopting the Elric boys" idea and couldn't stop typing this up at 4 in the morning.

Got the prompt off pinterest (lol). Hope you enjoy!

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"They keep the name Elric."

"But we're adopting them. This won't matter a few years down the road, anyway."

Riza's patience was stretched thin with her husband's reasoning coupled with the long day they've both had. "Precisely. We're adopting them, not controlling them."

"What do you think parents do?" Roy pushed his seat away and stood to clear his and Riza's plates off the table. He dumped them in the sink and ran water over them before turning the faucet off and facing his still seated wife.

"Discipline is different from control. They're 10 and 9, they know what's going on. They're smart too, especially Edward from his file."

At Roy's frown, Riza walked to him and cupped his cheek. "If they are going to change their names to Mustang, I want them to do it because they chose to, not because we forced it on them."

He held the hand on his cheek and stared at her. Choice. She wanted to give the kids the same choice she had when she dropped her maiden name and replaced it with his last name. He smiled and landed a chaste kiss on her lips. "You're already turning into a great mother."

/-/

Riza smiled as she bent at the waist to be closer at the boys' eye level. "Hello. My name is Riza." Two identical-looking boys stared at her, one with indignation and the other with tears in his eyes, and she instantly knew which was Edward and which was Alphonse.

"You can call me Ed. And this is Al."

Small smile still present, she extended her hands for them to take. "Let's get you home." Al tentatively reached out, but nonetheless held her hand while Ed crossed his arms and looked away.

"I'm not going to call you mother."

"Brother!"

Riza straightened, her hand in Al's, and led the way to her car. "It's alright. You can call me Riza, and my husband's name is Roy."

"We're home!" called out Riza as she ushered the boys in through the door of their, surprisingly blacked out, house.

A snap was heard. Small flickers of fire bounced around the living room as if they were ghosts fluttering about. Another snap, and this time Riza held both boys tight against her sides. The small flickers of fire converged together and started to form the words 'WELCOME HOME', before they dimmed and Roy opened all the curtains up again.

Riza let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What happened to a simple banner?"

"Tada!" pointed Roy to a banner above the fireplace. "... But I got bored." He removed his gloves and placed them on the coffee table then looked at the boys Riza was holding protectively against her. "Hi."

Al's tears dried up and excitement bubbled in his throat. "Mister, how did you do that?" he stepped out of Riza's hold and approached Roy.

He patted the top of Al's head. "Alchemy."

The younger Elric's eyes cast down as he thought about it. "But how… the flames…"

"Great! Another alchemist _dad_," muttered Ed, wrenching himself away from Riza's arm.

Roy's smile died in his throat as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down at a gulp.

Riza sighed. She knew this was going to be difficult, she just didn't realize that everything they said and did could be a possible trigger to the older Elric.

/-/

"The one at the far end is the guest bedroom. Your rooms are those two doors, bathrooms are inside. This is ours," said Riza as she pointed to the corresponding doors. "We have the basics, but anything else you need we can get for you."

"What's that?" asked Al, pointing to the lone door beside Riza and Roy's room.

"The study. Let me show you." She read the boys' files religiously every night until the day she came to pick them up. She knew they were alchemists as well, a likely inheritance from their biological father, and hoped that they would bond with Roy easily. She led them through the study and flipped the switch on.

"It's bigger than I thought," marveled Al, eyes sweeping across the room at all the bookshelves nearly bursting with books.

"A bit cramped."

"Aww, come on, brother. Maybe Mr. Mustang will let us use these!"

Riza's ears perked up. "Yes, of course. Most of the books here came from my father, anyway. A lot were what Roy used growing up."

"Your father was an alchemist too?" inquired Ed, eyes narrowing.

At the scrutiny, Riza swallowed the bitter taste in her tongue. To call that man a father was a joke; but she couldn't let them have anymore negative first impressions about Roy just because he was trying to be a father figure who happened to be an alchemist. "Yes. He taught Roy the basics."

"He was the one who taught him fire manipulation?" asked Ed.

"You're not an alchemist, Mrs. Mustang?" asked Al.

"Flame Alchemy was developed by my father, but Roy learned it on his own." Wow. These kids asked all the uncomfortable questions. Their caretaker was specific with her note that they were naturally curious children, so Riza was going to be as straightforward as she could. "No, I'm not an alchemist." She smiled. "You can go here anytime. I'm sure Roy will be glad to help you out with anything."

/-/

A few weeks in, and the new Mustang/Elric family settled into a routine. Riza established a set of rules, including a strict bedtime, for the boys and they followed it all, no questions asked. Roy observed that they adjusted to Riza quicker than they were to him, especially Ed. He sighed. While both boys were generally respectful, Ed was stubborn and relentless when he didn't like Roy's answers to his questions, and sometimes had a bad knack for associating him with his absentee father.

He heard a knock followed by a, "Hey, Mr. Mustang?"

He looked up from his desk and saw Al at the threshold of the study. "What's up?"

"Are you busy?"

"No." What the boys didn't know was that he and Riza made their own rules for each other, too. They would never be 'busy' when either Ed or Al came knocking. He beckoned for Al to come closer.

The boy held out a book in front of him. "I can't figure something out."

Roy's eyes widened. Finally! The boy was asking for _his _help, not Ed's, not Riza's, _him_. He picked the book up hastily and swept Al up by the waist, propping him on his leg. One of these days, he was going to buy additional chairs for the study. He read the cover. "This is a bit advanced, Al… Don't you want something more basic?" He flipped the book open to the first chapter. "See, if you can't decipher this bit - "

Al shook his head. "No, I meant here." He extended his small arms to the book and flipped close to the end, where a cat post-it (courtesy of Riza) was stuck to the page. "I can understand why, but not how it works."

Roy leaned to the side to observe the boy's face. "You… know how everything works until here?"

"I'd ask brother, but he fell asleep again and…"

He patted the boy's shoulder and ushered him down from his lap.

Al's face fell. He thought it would be quicker to just ask Mr. Mustang. He was the Head of the military's State Alchemist Program, after all. But maybe Ed was right, he was too old to be patient with -

Roy stood and stretched his arms high up past his head. He grabbed the book off his desk and nudged Al out of the study. "Let's go."

"Where?" he asked, but still followed Mr. Mustang's lead.

"To the lawn. The theories you've learned this far in the book is best to be applied as you go forward. Makes things easier."

He blinked up at the adult. He wanted him to help, he just didn't expect that Mr. Mustang would go out of his way to demonstrate it. "Why the lawn, Mr. Mustang? Is the earth more reactant to wood for the calculations?" He might as well ask everything, then.

The man sat on the grass outside their patio and looked at Al dead in the eye, expression grim. "No, nothing of that sort. You don't want to experiment on Riza's floors, kid. Ever."

/-/

Ed tumbled out of the bed with a soft thud. He groaned as he sat up. Stupid dream. Stupid Al for making him chase and shout after him in the dream. Stupid dream Al. He needed water after all that dream shouting at dream Al.

He slowly made his way down the darkened corridor that led to the front of the house. It won't be good if he woke either of the adults up. He knew they worked a lot, Riza probably more than Roy, but still, they needed the rest. He paused at the front of the study. Light filtered out of the bottom of the door. He turned his head and saw that the living room had a soft orange glow to it, too. The fireplace was still lit.

So they weren't resting.

Nonetheless, Ed made sure not to make a sound as he slipped into the kitchen, back hunched as he opened the refrigerator and took his water tumbler out. He caught sight of the back of Riza's head on the living room couch as he went. Quietly dropping to sit on the floor behind the kitchen counter, he drank his water.

"Ed? Al?" called Riza.

He stiffened. How did she know? "It's Ed." He stood, tumbler in hand, and made his way to the living room. "I was thirsty," he explained, knowing it was well past their bedtime.

Riza smiled at him, her gun tucked back behind her. It wouldn't be good if she let the child know she initially thought he was some intruder. "Alright, then."

Ed sat on one of the sofa chairs and observed his adoptive mother curled in on the couch. She looked peaceful, book open in her hand and her legs tucked underneath her as she stared at the fireplace… but his mother used to always look peaceful, too. Before he thought about it for long, he asked, "Why him?" his eyes eyeing the direction of the study then back at her.

She craned her neck to look at the boy. She knew Ed didn't hate her husband, there was only that apprehension of trusting another alchemist to be their 'father'. "I love him."

He snarled and didn't bother to hide it. "That can't be it."

She licked her lips as she moved her bookmark to the proper page and settled the book on the table. "Reasons are always that simple." She adjusted her seat to better look at Ed without twisting her neck so much. She decided to pry open his curious nature, maybe help him ease into liking Roy even for a tiny bit. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you love _this_? How can you love someone who spends his nights like that and you're waiting here? Why is that love? Does he love you?"

"Whoa, okay, slow down." She should have known that he wasn't going to hold back in asking. "He's just caught in the middle of something right now, nights aren't always like this." She wouldn't expound further on what they do to each other on most nights, or what Roy does to her after he's done with a night like this. "I'd like to think he loves me back." She scrunched her nose up in mock disgust. "He says it almost everyday." It was best to be as straightforward as possible, just not in extreme detail, with Ed.

"But you're here alone."

She thought about her answer for a second before smiling at the boy. "He'll be out of there soon enough." Had this conversation happened at the early days of her marriage with Roy, she would have been wound up so tight that she can't be held responsible for bullet holes in the wall. Those days were behind them, and she'd developed a full arsenal of ways to pull him out of his research once she decides he's in need of food, rest, or love. "Roy's not one to choose alchemy over family."

Ed furrowed his brows. Well, that hit him hard. "How can you say that?"

She shrugged one shoulder, her golden hair shifting against it. "We've been together for a long time."

"Mom always waited for Hohenheim too. She'd look out the window and just… stare, after she's tucked us into bed and she thinks we're asleep already." He cast his eyes down at the floor. "I think that's why she got sick, with all those cold nights. I should have…" He slammed his fist against the armrest. "Given her a blanket, or…"

A gasp left her lips as she realized what the boy was trying to say. She uncurled her legs from underneath her and knelt in front of where Ed was seated. She took his fist and held it. "It wasn't your fault."

"I don't understand why…" his fist shook against Riza's palm. "Why she did it. Why she waited. Why she was always _waiting_. And for what? For him?! I wanted to scream at her he's not coming back!" Hot, angry tears burst through his eyes. "But I couldn't…" he hiccuped, swallowing a lump of saliva that formed in his mouth, "I couldn't say it, not to her."

She reached out and enveloped Ed into a tight hug, snuggling his face against her shoulder as she patted his blond head. "So you're saying it to me now? To warn me?"

He nodded, tears still streaming from his eyes, soaking Riza's large shirt. He didn't want to say the rest of it for fear of it coming true, as irrational as the fear of jinxes was. He didn't want to lose another mother.

"It's okay, Ed. We've got you."

/-/

"Who did this to you?!"

At the sound of his wife's rare scream, Roy rushed out of their bedroom, almost tearing the door from its hinges and dashed to the living room, his gloved hand poised to snap.

He found Riza on her knees in front of Ed, her hands all over the boy's face, cheek, shoulder, chest, arms, and legs. A soldier's thorough scan for injuries. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry." Ed flushed, clutching a piece of paper at his side, embarrassed at having Roy witness this too.

"We're sorry," piped in Al. "Brother was only trying to help."

Riza extracted the paper from Ed's grip and scanned through it. They were being called to meet with the Principal and a certain Mr. and Mrs. McFarland tomorrow after school hours. She set it on the table then turned to her husband. "Could you please get the first aid kit?" When he left to get it, she turned to Al. "Get your school bag into your room, please, then come back here. Can you take Ed's too?"

Al nodded and did as he was asked.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Ed, eyes cast down the moment he was alone with Riza. Roy stepped back in the living room and silently handed the kit to his wife.

Riza settled on the floor, opened up the kit and took out the gun on top of the medical supplies. She handed the item to Roy who took it questioningly.

"Uh. Since when was there a gun in there?"

"Shh. You should have noticed the weight when you brought it here." She focused back on Ed and gently cleaned his bruises, inspected for cuts, and covered them up if she spotted any. "You didn't answer my question yet, Ed."

The boy flinched. How many times did he have to apologize? He knew the red slip from the Principal was bad, their school bus driver explained as much, and that was why he kept apologizing the moment he and Al got home!

"We're really sorry," came Al's voice. They've never been punished by their adopted parents yet, just an occasional scolding here and there, but since they were both in the military, the boys can only imagine how bad "timeout" can be. They've heard varying stories from the other kids to know that parents can go extreme with timeout.

Roy motioned for Al to come closer, but ultimately stayed quiet. He and Riza agreed that whoever is first to respond to a distress situation regarding the boys would be the one to control the flow, while the other provided support to keep things balanced. So this was Riza's mission, and he was only going to be backup.

"I didn't ask for an apology, Al, Ed. I asked _who_ did this to Ed," said Riza, her voice calm, even, not letting her nerves show through. Ed was hurt, Al looked like a mess, and she was going to put a bullet through the knees of whoever was responsible for messing with her boys.

"Harry."

"Mm." She nodded, that explained who Mr. and Mrs. McFarland were in the note. "Who threw the first punch?"

Ed winced. "I did." He knew this was his fault the moment the principal scolded him and pulled him off of Harry at the playground.

"Alright, can you tell me why?"

"Please, mom," begged Al, moving to stand beside Ed, "This is my fault. Harry pushed me down and Ed saw it, and -"

"He _what_?!" That explained why Al looked filthy.

Roy shot his hand out to hold Riza's shoulder to calm her down.

"I saw him push Al and I grabbed Harry's collar and I punched him," continued Ed, "We fought, but the principal saw me… beating up Harry."

Pride made its way into Riza's chest and seeped all over her body. So Ed technically won that fight, even though he threw the first punch, but he was only defending Al from a bully. "Did he say why he pushed you, Al?"

"He said… I look like you, but I'm an Elric and you're not. His mama and papa told him I was a dirty child. Dirty children didn't share names with their mommies. Dirty children shouldn't play with them."

Riza's eyes flashed at the term. Whoever this couple was, they wrongly assumed Ed and Al were illegitimate children? How dare they! Even if they were, they had no right to teach their child to discriminate, no matter the background. As a soldier, she was proud that Ed punched their child and won, but as a 'mother', she knew that she had to 'discipline' them one way or the other. She patted both boys' heads. "Punching someone is not a nice thing to do," she said.

The kids nodded, their eyes looking down at their feet.

"Promise me," she tilted their chins up so that they looked at her. She turned to Ed, "that you will only punch someone if they try to punch you first. You _avoid_ that first punch, then you land a solid one and aim for the nose."

Roy's jaw dropped.

Riza turned to Al. "Promise me that you will fight back anyone who pushes you. Your brother had his heart in the right place, he wanted to defend you today. But promise me you will defend yourself too, kick out your leg and aim for the zipper in his pants."

Ed and Al slowly nodded. So they weren't in trouble?

"Now go do your homework. I'll call you at dinner."

The boys jogged out of the living room. They didn't have to be told twice.

Riza gathered the medical supplies back in the kit and took the gun off Roy's lap, checked if the safety remained on, and returned it inside too.

"Aim for the nose? The zipper?" questioned Roy, his brain finally waking up from the shock.

She clicked her tongue. "It's basic self-defense." She made a mental note to teach the boys a few moves during the semestral break or on weekends if they weren't busy with alchemy.

He chuckled as he helped his wife stand up, then burrowed his nose in her hair, his arms wrapped tight around her.

"Don't laugh," she whispered, their proximity allowing her to lower her voice, "the kid is a bully. I'm glad Ed won."

"Why didn't you congratulate him?"

She rolled her eyes then hugged him back, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I had to tell him punching first is wrong," she murmured. Parenting was hard. Certain values came into play, values that weren't necessarily compatible with her military training.

Roy hummed in agreement. "We're being called, then?"

"Yes." She extracted herself from him and showed him the slip of paper that Ed crinkled on his way home. "Tomorrow, with that kid's parents and the principal."

"Huh. I guess we have to apologize?"

Riza's jaw tensed and her eyes narrowed at the paper in his hands, as if she could burn it with her gaze. "They're not illegitimate children," she eyed her husband's startled onyx orbs, "and those idiots have no right to assume and teach their child that, and call our kids _dirty_." She spat out the word, her lips twisted into vicious growl. "We aren't apologizing for shit."

She stormed out of the room to return the medical kit back in its place in the bathroom. She was going to drag Roy out of the office early tomorrow and they were both going to wear their formal military uniforms (that could be considered as smart casual, right?), all medals in full view, and her guns loaded and on display; and she was going to give Mr. and Mrs. McFarland a piece of her mind if they so much as think about receiving an apology from the Mustangs.

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**AN:** Not sure if Roy can actually do the "Welcome Home" thing with his alchemy, but hey, i labeled it as AU so… haha!


	2. In the Line of Fire

**AN:** Hi! I got convinced to continue this and to be honest, I originally had a multi-chapter outline but then I scrapped that idea and only posted the first chapter. I just can't see myself committing to a multi-chapter yet.

Feedback was great for that first chapter, though, so I'll explore this universe for a little while longer. This will now be a series of** one-shots, not necessarily in order **(because my brain gets inspiration from all sorts of things), which dwells in the relationshipswithin the Mustang/Elric family*. [I'll keep referring to them like this because, as I showed in the first chapter, Riza was adamant about letting the boys stick with their real surnames.]

For now, we get a continuation from Chapter 1 hihi. Hope you enjoy!

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**In the Line of Fire**

Riza resisted the urge to raise her brow. No. She had to keep her soldier poker face on but, as each minute ticked by, the McFarlands were proving to be as obnoxious as she expected them to be and more. They wore overly bright and heavily padded clothes, with Mrs. McFarland even going so far as to put a large fur shawl around her shoulders. How the woman managed to breathe with the almost-summer weather in those clothes was a mystery.

The principal, a kind, old woman named Mrs. Bailey, was doing her best to placate the two civilians, having to remind them over and over that this was only a 'dialogue' between parents and not a venue for heated arguments.

_Too late for that_, thought Riza, her eyes sliding over to her quietly seething husband with his hair slicked back and his formal military uniform straighter-than-normal because of his rigid posture. They left headquarters with both of them sure that it would be Riza to uncharacteristically blow her composure off, so Roy took the precaution of kissing her senseless in the car before they filed out. It would seem now that it was Roy who needed that kiss more than her.

"And another thing," continued Mrs. McFarland, her tirade from the past half hour still not over, raising her bejeweled finger in the space between them and the Mustangs, "that child of yours managed to give my _precious baby_ a black-eye! How is he supposed to go to school now? How can he focus on his lessons? We had to keep him away from school today because of your beast!" she glared at Riza and twisted her lips in disgust, making her point known that she knew the Elrics were hers, and that her poor husband had no choice but to accept the two blonde abominations.

"Who the fu - "

Riza shot her hand out and held Roy's knee to stop him from finishing that sentence. If they lose their cool, they've lost this fight.

"Mrs. McFarland," interjected the principal, "As I've mentioned, this was only a dialogue. Our objective here is for a healthy environment for Harry and Ed to have school in peace. I understand Harry was hurt - " both Roy and Riza's eyes twitched at this - "which is why we are having this meeting, but we do not need the arguments amongst ourselves. We are the adults here, and we can settle this manner like adults."

"Alright," the excessively accessorized female huffed. "All we need is an apology from the boy to my baby. That will ease my baby's mind to return to school."

_How about I ease your head off your neck_.

Mrs. Bailey looked at the Mustang couple expectantly. "Mr. and Mrs. Mustang?"

Riza opened her mouth to protest, but Roy beat her to it, "No. Edward is not apologizing. It was a fight between children. It happened. It's done."

As expected, this triggered Mrs. McFarland once again. "Ohhoho, Mr. Mustang, there was no_ fight_! Mrs. Bailey pulled your wife's child off my baby! My baby was bullied! My baby deserves - "

"Shit. Your 'baby' deserves shit, Mrs. McFarland, and let me tell you why…"

_Uh oh_. Riza's hand curled into a fist over Roy's thigh, and she pressed down deep against it, but her husband wasn't listening to her non-verbal cues anymore.

"Your child bullied Alphonse first! Because of your ignorance!" Roy's voice was getting louder by the word, and Riza had to fight the urge to stand at attention and salute. This wasn't her husband right now. This was her commanding officer. "And for what? Because of your pathetic and idiotic conclusion that they're Riza's illegitimate children? Even if they were, it's not your place to judge!"

The McFarlands had the decency to look away, ashamed of being called out.

"For the record, Mr. and Mrs. McStuckUp, you've crossed the line when you attacked my wife the moment we entered. She's doing the best she can, and you better be damned thankful I haven't set any of your asses on fire. But to insult Ed and Al when _they didn't start the fight_?! Agh!" Roy turned his heated gaze on his wife. "Will you let off your fist on my leg? It's starting to hurt."

As one, the McFarlands and Mrs. Bailey's focus shifted on the whitened fist of Riza Mustang steadfast on Roy's thigh, near the knee.

"You're going to stand and might burn something," was her calm reply.

Mr. McFarland shifted in his seat, suddenly recalling why 'Mustang' sounded familiar. When he first saw the military uniforms, he determined they posed no actual threat despite the high ranks these two carried. But then now he realized this wasn't just any young-faced general. This was the Head State Alchemist whose specialty was fire manipulation. _That _Mustang.

Roy clamped his teeth together within his pursed lips. How was Riza remaining stoic after all this? "Let go. I'll start the car."

She did as she was told and watched her husband's retreating back as he slammed the door closed behind him. "Well," she turned back to the three other occupants of the room, "we need to go. Wouldn't want our 'dirty' presence to seep into yours any further. Mrs. Bailey," she focused on the woman, "if it's all the same to you, we have no problem whatever it is Ed would receive as punishment for punching Harry. We understand that he punched first, but we won't take it sitting down if Harry goes unpunished."

Mrs. McFarland let out a strangled noise, to which Riza directed a glare at her, effectively cutting her off.

"Harry pushed Al first because Harry thinks Al is my illegitimate child and called him 'dirty'. Ed, being the older brother, acted in defense. Surely you'd understand that before you place _all_ of the blame on Ed."

"Is this true?" asked Mrs. Bailey.

Even if the question was poised to the McFarlands, the blonde Major would not be deterred. "Al has no reason to lie, and Ed's own injuries speak for themselves." She made sure to make and maintain eye contact with Mrs. McFarland as she stood from her seat. "I treated him myself and I'm an expert at inflicting injuries."

/-/

She stalked off toward the parking lot in haste, her heels clicking against the school's tiles. Why did she decide to wear the formal military uniform again? The heels, even though they were a mere inch from the ground, proved to be a deterrent from speed on top of the little leg room the skirt provided. A determined frown settled on her face, her pace quickening. She was agitated with the McFarlands, sure, but did Roy really have to blow up like that?

After his outburst, of course she had no choice but to lend him support, but she could think of at least two other ways the meeting could have gone better.

Unusual movement caught her eye as she turned the corner to the parking lot. Her hand instinctively went to one of her guns, ready to draw at a moment's notice, forgetting that she was inside a gated school. "Al?!" she eased her hand off her side, taking in the boy standing up from his place on the floor. She pushed air out of her lips. She's already lost count of the number of times she almost drew a gun or a weapon at the Elric boys when she thought they were a threat. She wondered when she will be used to their presence enough to notdo that to them.

"You're supposed to be with Mrs. Curtis," she said, not expecting the younger Elric to stray off like this.

The boy shifted his weight around. "I wanted to apologize to Harry's parents… I waved at pop but he didn't see me." He cast his eyes down on the floor. "Is your talk done? Can I say sorry so that brother doesn't have to?"

"Where did you get the idea that Ed will have to say sorry?"

"He told me Mrs. Bailey is gonna make him."

She drew her eyebrows together in both confusion and awe. Awe as to Ed's foresight and his ability to decipher the consequences of his actions, and confusion as to Al's willingness to shoulder those consequences. "No need for that, Al," she extended her hand for the boy to take, which he did, "Come on, Roy -" she stopped to correct herself to respect the child's decided term for her husband "- _pop_ is waiting in the car." While Ed still calls them by their names, Al has long adjusted to calling them 'mom' and 'pop'.

They arrived at the parking lot and made a beeline to their car. As they drew closer, Riza saw Roy's head against his arms on the steering wheel. She did her best to be gentle with the passenger door lest she startle him.

Al climbed on the back seat, strapping on his seat belt like he was told.

Roy jolted at the sight of Al from the rear view mirror. "Heeeeeyy, buddy. What are you doing here?"

"He wanted to apologize to _them_." His wife wasn't in the mood to further talk about anything remotely related to the McFarlands anymore. "Could you drop me off at the range? I need a few hours."

He nodded, easing the car out of school property. "Rest and regroup?"

She sighed. "Yes, please." She was in a bad mood, and Roy was in a worse mood. Based from experience, they needed some time to calm down before fleshing out the event or else they'd end up at each other's throats, and not in a good way.

"Can I come?" asked Al, and the adoptive parents halted for a minute.

Riza was the first to recover at the question. She and Roy haven't fully discussed the issue of weapons and how to address the matter to the kids yet, so they were both unsure how to proceed from here. She twisted in her seat to face the boy. "Are you sure? Don't you want to rest after pop picks up Ed?"

He shook his head. "I wanna see your happy place."

A series of questions quickly formulated itself in her head as the optimum route to take. "Do you know what a range is, Al?"

"It's a place, like a farm for animals but the military has guns instead of animals." His adoptive parents were in the military so it wouldn't make sense if his answer involved a farmer's range.

"Do you know what guns are?"

Al nodded, lips pursed and brows drawn together in focus. "The ones you put on your uniform."

"Do you know what they _do_?"

"Umm, I saw other kids at the playground. They shoot people."

"Or things!" blurted out Riza. She stretched her neck as far as she could from the backrest of her seat to look at him straight in the eye. Final question. "If I take you, will you promise to listen to everything I say? Guns are weapons, Al. They're not toys."

Roy choked on his own saliva, the sound stretching for a few seconds in the confines of the car. "Uh, Riza?"

She adjusted to face forward again in her seat after Al sounded off his agreement to her terms. "Fine." She side-eyed her skeptical-looking husband. "I won't let him touch one yet, okay? So try not to burn the house down with Ed."

/-/

Al trailed after his adoptive mother after she changed out of her skirt and into her usual black undershirt and uniform pants. He noticed belts all around her body and was waiting for the right time to ask about them. One belt was in the shape of an 'X' on her back and they had pockets, while the other belt on her waist, he knew, is where she kept her guns. Why did she have two belts? Did the one on her back help her posture?

She stopped in front of her chosen booth and noticed the perplexed frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you have a belt on your back?"

She bit down the laugh that bubbled in her throat. This was a child who was curious about the world and it wasn't wise to laugh at an innocent question. "It's not a belt," she explained, kneeling down to look at him at eye level, "It's called a shoulder holster." She shifted to the side so that Al could see the holster pocket where one of her guns was resting. "See that?"

He nodded, then pointed to the gun at her hip. "But you already have that one and the one behind you."

"My job calls for more than one…" she trailed off, thinking of a better way to broach the topic. "Hmm, let's see, how many pieces of chalk are in your pocket right now?"

The boy in response rummaged through his pockets and presented her with five different-sized pieces of chalk.

She patted his head. "Like that. You have five of those, I have four of mine." She winked in jest.

"I didn't know you liked guns so much? Like pop with alchemy?" Why didn't he notice before? His second mom was clear from the start: she wasn't an alchemist. Though he knew that she was in the military, it was unfair to assume she didn't have any hobbies. Why did he never bother to ask?

Riza tilted her head to the side as she regarded his question. "They serve their purpose." She then proceeded to dig inside her bag where she hid her attire from earlier that day. Pulling her hand out, opened it toward Al palm up, revealing two small oblongs attached together with string. "Wear these."

The boy took it, but he held the item and brought it closer to his face, trying to discern their purpose.

"Here." She guided one earplug into his ear and then settled the other one. She made a motion of cupping her ears with her palms and said, "Adjust them so that it's tight."

"Why?" asked Al, but nonetheless tucked the earplugs tighter within his ears.

Instead of answering, Riza stood and positioned herself in the booth. She drew one of her guns from the shoulder holster, clicked the safety off, aimed, and fired one shot, the target getting hit dead center on the chest.

Al jumped at the explosion-like noise. He never knew real guns could be that loud. All he knew was that kids who played with toy guns ran around and said 'bang' but none of that compared to the real thing.

She flicked the safety back on, knelt down to Al's eye level again, and pulled the string to remove the earplugs from his ears. "That's why. Your ears need protection when in the firing range."

He nodded, eyes straying to the gun lightly resting on her hand. "Can I…" his fingers reached out.

She shifted the gun away with a firm, "No." Then her eyes softened. "You promised to listen to me, yes?" She asked, though she knew she didn't have a problem with obedience when it came to the boys, especially Al.

"Yes."

"Okay." She sat down on the floor of the booth and presented the gun in front of him with both hands. "This is a gun… a _real_ gun."

Al followed her cue and sat on the floor too, eyes bright as Riza pointed to and discussed the basic parts of the gun.

"You got it?" she asked, after naming every part.

"Mmhmm." Her lesson was easier to grasp now after he's seen her pull the trigger to fire. "When did you learn to shoot?"

"I was 13," she lied, not wanting the nine-year-old to think it was alright to handle a gun now even though Riza did start to learn at his age.

His eyes were downcast. "Oh."

"If you still want to learn by then, I promise to teach you. But for now, I need you to master my rules of gun handling."

His demeanor brightened again at the mention of 'rules'. "Like alchemy rules?"

She laughed. "Yes. Are you ready?" At his enthusiastic nod, she laid out her handkerchief down on the floor and took out the magazine of the gun still in her hand. "Number 1: an empty gun can kill a man. Can you repeat that for me?"

"An empty gun can kill a man… why? You said the trigger shoots the bullets out."

She laid down the magazine on the handkerchief. "I did. That, as we talked about," she pointed at the item, "holds the bullets. It does get empty, but you always have to treat a gun as if it's loaded. Even after you ejected that, bullets can sometimes remain in the barrel, so you might still be able to shoot even if the magazine is out."

When she determined he grasped the information, she continued, "Number 2 is simple: Never aim a gun at a person or up at the sky." She allowed the second rule to sink in the air between them then followed it up with, "You don't want to accidentally shoot someone."

"You never shot someone?" his confusion evident in the lilt of his voice. What were guns for, then?

"I have, but never by accident," she admitted, "and that's related to rule number 3: Until you're ready, the trigger is off-limits."

Al looked down at the gun in her hand and noticed for the first time how her pointer finger lightly rested against the barrel, instead of on the trigger.

"Do you understand?"

"Yup! How many bad guys have you shot already?"

She popped the magazine back in the gun, checked the safety, and then reholstered it. "I don't count," she lied again. "The military sends us out to a mission and I just… do it." Of course, given Roy's status, there has been more than one occasion that she had to pull the trigger simply out of protection and not a mission.

He looked up at her with wide eyes, giving off a golden glint as it caught the light. "Aren't missions bad? Why did you join the military?"

"At first, it was the only way for me to earn a living after my father died." She shrugged. "Eventually, your pop talked about the bigger picture and his dreams; so I promised to support him and to watch his back."

"But isn't it dangerous?" insisted the boy.

She scrunched her nose for a moment then settled it back to normal. "It's part of the job. Besides, someone has to stand in the way of your pop getting hurt."

He frowned. "What's pop's dream?" Was it enough for her to be in dangerous missions?

She squeezed his cheek affectionately. "Why don't you ask him that one?"

/-/

Ed wasn't blind. He noticed his adoptive father's hands lots of times before. He had always been curious about them from the moment the man snapped his fingers and produced flames out of nowhere that first day they arrived. The array on his gloves looked simple enough, but Ed couldn't fathom the calculations that went behind it.

But when the man took the gloves off… that was when Ed saw it.

At first, he thought it was dirt on the back of Roy's right hand. As the days and weeks passed by, it was clear that those strange marks weren't going away. _Scars, they're scars_, the boy realized one day.

Why would he have odd, misplaced scars on the back of his hand? Was it a side-effect of his alchemy? But he snaps with his left hand, too, and that one didn't have scars…

Without Al or Riza in the house, the nagging feeling of wanting to know the source and reason for those scars grew with each passing second within the boy. He snuck another glance at Roy who was casually reading the newspaper on the couch. His stomach clenched against the floor when he saw those scars again as the dark-haired man flipped a page.

_Don't do it. Don't do it._ "Mr. Mustang?"

Roy peeked at him from the edge of the newspaper. "Yeah?"

"Why do you have scars at the back of your hand? Who did it to you?" _Oh well._

In response, he folded the newspaper neatly and set it aside. _So much for avoiding talking about weapons. _With Riza stuck with Al in the range, Roy thought that only his wife would have the burden of easing the topic of weapons today. Unfortunately, Ed won't give him such luck. "How do you know they're scars?"

"Well," the child sat up on the floor and tilted his head to meet him in the eye, "they're not going away… unless you don't wash your hands." He narrowed his eyes, doubt setting in. He wouldn't put it past the older alchemist to forget to wash his hands thoroughly. He's witnessed Riza remind him of more trivial things.

"Hey." He held his hands up in surrender, then turned the right one over to stare at the scars in question. A remnant of his carelessness that nearly cost his life and Riza's. "Yes, they're scars."

Ed glared. "I asked how you got them?" He hated it when the man didn't give out straight answers. Riza was much better at letting him and Al understand things.

Roy sat quietly for awhile, assessing which strategy to use. Riza wasn't here to save him from Ed's flare of temper if he answered with his usual roundabout way. He sighed, eyeing the boy. Stall for time. _Gather your wits, Roy._ "Are you comfortable there, or…?"

The boy crossed his arms, glare still present. "Are you gonna answer the question or not?"

"I am, just a long story."

"Then start already," he all but growled. It's just a scar, what's so hard about explaining that?

He adjusted his back against the couch and settled in to tell his tale, or at least a very condensed, very _safe_, version of it. "A few years ago, when I was still a Colonel, my office was in-charge of monitoring military fraternization."

At the odd word, the boy raised his brow, the question frozen at the tip of his tongue.

"Military fraternization is a relationship formed within, well, the military."

"Like you and Riza?"

He nodded, "See your mo- _Riza_ \- Riza and I were only able to marry because we pushed enough paperwork to declare our relationship to the higher-ups. Anyway, any type of relationship within the ranks is allowed and won't be penalized if you declare it so that unbiased parties can come in if a promotion or a demotion is in issue. And at that time," he waved the scars in the air, "we were the office you declare it to."

"What does that have to do with it? Was it an off-angle papercut?"

"No." He frowned. Can't the boy sense that he was trying? He eased off the couch and sat on the floor to meet Ed at eye-level easier. "So, there was this Warrant Officer Solaris. First name: Lujuria. Weapon of expertise: throwing knives. She loved to have uhhh -" he coughed. What word can he use instead of one-night stands? "_relationships_, quick relationships, with the men. Every week, sometimes less, she'd declare a new relationship to our office."

Ed scooched in his seat, leaning forward, the tale becoming more interesting than a papercut story.

"Falman, with his memory, eventually matched the men she declared and the sick leaves they were filing left and right."

"The men got the flu?"

_More like an STD, but sure._ "Yeah. She made everyone sick, so eventually she was discharged. She didn't like it, and long story short, she went all around town hurting people. I chased after her with no back-up, got hurt - "

"Uh-uh. No, old man," he ignored Roy's eye-twitch at the term, "you said this was a long story so make it long." His eyes burned, making his desire to know palpable in the air. This was the first time either of his adoptive parents were telling in detail what their jobs entailed. People often whispered how 'dangerous' it was to be in the military, but he and Al can only assume with the Mustangs not as forthcoming with their job details as other parents.

"Ugh." Roy pouted, unable to control the knee-jerk reaction. "So she's good with knives. When she was discharged, she went around town throwing knives at civilians. It didn't matter who, she just injured a whole lot of them… I -" he swallowed - "was the only one in the office when the call came in. Lunch break, you know?"

Ed nodded; so Roy continued, his eyes straying behind Ed, not focusing on anything in particular, "The report was a number of severely injured civilians, some possibly dying or dead, and I rushed out. No back-up, no note to the team, nothing. I thought I cornered her, but she was fast. Rushed at me, cut my gloves up, and got me hurt right here," he patted his left side.

"Hurt?" he echoed, eyes tracking the covered stomach.

He smirked, the mirth not reaching his eyes. "Show and tell is for another time, kid."

"Fiiiiiiine," grumbled Ed.

"It was a pretty rough wound. I knew I had to close it somehow. Luckily, I confiscated one of Havoc's lighters that morning." He chuckled, remembering his unexpected good fortune mixed with his near-death experience. "I carved my transmutation circle at the back of my hand with the knife she lodged in my skin and seared the wound closed…"

He took a deep breath, the next events not as easy to recount. "I almost passed out a couple of times while I did it. Riza and the team engaged Solaris around a block away? I don't really know. I heard," he paused, swallowing the dread rising from his throat, "gunshots and… her screams." He closed his eyes as if trying to block out the memory.

"Solaris' screams?"

He opened his eyes and focused his gaze on Ed, head shaking slightly. "Both."

"Riza was hurt?!"

"No… no. I learned later that Solaris told her she killed me, that's why Riza's shots came out frantic and unfocused. At that time, all I knew was that I had to get to her; so I finished closing the wound, and… burned Solaris' knees enough to finally incapacitate her."

"So the scars…" Eyes wide, the child stared at Roy's right hand.

"Self-inflicted? Yes." He sighed, then gave a small smile. "But necessary at that time."

A few moments of silence passed between them before Ed finally said, "You need an extra pair of gloves." He couldn't tell the man to be careful, it was obvious Roy was as careless as can be. He also couldn't ask them to quit their jobs because based from the man's tale, he liked to help people.

He chuckled, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Both Riza and I carry an extra pair now, after that debacle," he said, not divulging further the series of arguments they've had after he was discharged from the hospital, and how he almost gave up on his dream if it meant keeping Riza safe.

* * *

**AN:** It's probably best to mention now that the Ishvalan War of Extermination never happened in this AU. I might explore more of Roy and Riza's motivations (for the military and the adoption) in later chapters, but yeah… felt like I had to clear this up so that the Parental!RizaAl moment here makes more sense to those who might have gotten confused.

Also, I can't commit to a regular posting schedule _yet_ because time isn't my friend. However, I plan to have a total of 23 one-shots for this (so this is 2 down, yayyyyy!) and I already have the rest kinda outlined. I promise to see this through (lol).

'Til next time!


	3. If you want Peace, Prepare for War

**AN: **This is a flashback compared to the first two chapters. I wanted to explore Roy's motivations for joining and staying in the military in this AU setting (I mean, no Ishval, no murderer's guilt, so why, right?) so that the following one-shots would make more sense… I hope.

No Elric brothers in this one.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**If you want Peace, Prepare for War**

Roy swirled the glass of champagne in his hand, wishing he could toss it out, wishing it were anything stronger, and wishing he was somewhere else right now. Somewhere with a particular blonde, preferably huddled together by the fireplace or underneath the covers. He popped his neck for the nth time that night. Maintaining ramrod military posture during a party was proving to be quite the feat. He'd rather stay in a plank position for minutes on end than endure this any longer.

Onyx eyes trailed after his superior officer, General Basque Grand, and his spiked mustache. The man ordered Major Roy Mustang, the youngest State Alchemist in the history of Amestris, to attend parties with him and other State Alchemists in order for people to "get to know them better."

It was made clear from the first party and the ones that followed, however, that these events were meant to garner solicitations from the rich and the gullible.

_This isn't what you signed up for_, protested the idealistic part of his brain.

_You're a soldier now, and you're meant to follow orders_, was the comeback of his realistic side.

"Tch," he muttered under his breath, downing the useless champagne and setting the glass on the window ledge behind him.

It has been four years since he was given his title, and a full year now since he graduated from the Military Academy. He'd written to Riza all about it, promising to return and take her with him to Central to start their lives together, but General Grand pissed all over those plans. When news broke about the youngest State Alchemist now working in Central, everyone took interest in who he was. It didn't matter that he was actually 23 years old _now_.No one seemed to figure out that no one can work directly in Central HQ unless they graduated from the Military Academy, which was a four-year course if you manage to pass everything in one go.

_No_. He sighed. To the lot of them, he was 18 years old when he became a State Alchemist from the moment he entered the Academy and he'd probably remain 18 in their minds forever. On top of tagging along to the parties and adjusting to his new office and work, he wasn't allowed to go on any kind of leave.

He stopped writing promises to the love of his life and instead opted to regularly tell her how much he missed her, but her replies came few and far between. He knew and understood she had good reason to be upset. Five years of waiting for him was a long time.

"Yo."

Someone nudged his elbow, and he turned to see a mischievous smile on Lieutenant Maes Hughes' face. "What?"

"Last one." With Hughes' work under Communications, he's been in-charge of directing Roy's movements all through the night, telling him to shake hands with the upper echelon, introducing him to businessmen and their wives, girlfriends, daughters, nieces, and granddaughters, and overall making sure that a scowl is never seen on the military's currently most popular face.

He quirked a brow. "You said 'last one' _five_ dances ago!" he hissed.

The bespectacled man raised his hands in defense. "See that?" He nodded in General Grand's direction, the man in question making his way toward the exit. "You're off the clock, Sparky -"

Roy slouched his posture and exhaled.

"Ah," Hughes tapped his fist on Roy's shoulder, "- _after _you meet with this last one. I swear you're going to want to meet her."

He crossed his arms. "For the last time, Maes, unless she holds a signed vacation leave from Grand, meeting with these women is pointless."

"What if she's the ticket to a promotion?" He slipped behind Roy and nudged him forward. "Think about it… your own office, own staff, taking all the allowable leaves in a year…"

The Major walked faster at the mention of getting out of General Grand's command. Hughes led him to a side exit which was connected to an isolated patio from the ballroom. "She asked to be discreet. No one knows that General Grumman has a granddaughter."

_General Grumman… Grumman… Grumman… _Where did he hear that name before? "Head of East HQ? _That _Grumman?"

Maes broke out a smile. "Yes." He looked out at the edge of the patio, seeking any sign that the woman would make her appearance from beyond the darkened garden. "Now," he lowered his voice, "the granddaughter is still in the Academy, but she specifically asked for you. So charm her pants off and get the ball rolling."

He glared at the back of Maes' head. He wasn't going to use some poor girl for a promotion. He wasn't against underhanded tactics, like befriending someone to get a promotion and getting transferred to another HQ behind his superior's back, but human emotions were not to be played with. Besides, he had Riza _hopefully_ still waiting for him.

Hughes faced his friend again, sensing the ire directed on his back. "Talk. Sheesh. Just talk. While most generals don't appreciate ambitious shitheads like you, I think Grumman is too old to give a damn. And the granddaughter - "

"- Is here," announced a voice coupled with the sound of heels clicking against the stone path leading to where Roy and Maes stood.

Roy's eyes all but dropped out of its sockets as Maes extended his arm to guide the blonde woman to more stable flooring.

"Cadet, it's such a pleasure. This is Major Roy Mustang," introduced Maes, his enthusiasm coming out on cue as it had been all throughout the night, "Roy, this is the lovely Cadet Riza Hawkeye. General Grumman is her grandfather."

"Maternal, obviously," Riza said with a small smile, blank eyes never leaving Roy's stunned ones. "I appreciate the confidentiality, sir."

"Of course, of course," replied Maes with a hushed conspiratorial voice, oblivious to the onyx and amber staredown. "Sooooo, would you prefer 'Miss' tonight? It is a party, after all."

"Miss is great, Lieutenant," she said, breaking the spell she was under as she gestured to her ballgown. "Hardly an outfit for ranks, sir."

Maes grinned. "Then you can drop mine too." His gaze then left hers and onto his oddly silent bestfriend. He raised his brows higher, lips pursed tight, willing the other to say something, anything.

Snapping out of his trance, Roy said the only word that came to mind, "Hair?"

Hughes slapped his palm to his face, all pleasantries and cordiality tossed out the window. What the hell? _Hair?!_

Riza consciously tossed all her hair to her back, out of Roy's view, but her gaze at him was decidedly impassive. "I grew it in training."

"Training?" his brain could only process one word at a time.

Feeling helpless, Maes stepped in to try to salvage his friend. "So, Roy, tell Miss Hawkeye about your recent work with General Grand under the State Alchemist Program."

"The program?" her eyes took on a hard edge.

_Great_, Maes groaned to himself. _Now she's doing it too._ Eyes widening by the second, he looked at his best friend, then the blonde, and back again. "You two know each other."

Roy tightened his jaw and was finally able to form a complete sentence, "I codenamed her Elizabeth because I didn't want you snooping," he murmured, eyes softening against her amber ones, hoping to convey how sorry he was and how much he missed her.

"_Love of your life_ Elizabeth?!" exclaimed Maes.

Riza stifled a gasp upon hearing Maes' words. "I thought there would be someone else by now."

"Never."

Sensing the tension between the two, Maes crept back to the ballroom knowing that they wouldn't notice him slip away, anyway.

"I missed you," continued Roy.

"So you said."

"What are you… How are you…" he ran his hand through his hair, taking a breath to compose himself. "I'm sorry." He hung his head low. "I'm not using you again. I didn't know he was your grandfather."

"I didn't know either until I got in." Her eyes softened and did what she wanted to do from the moment she knew he was at this party - she launched herself against his body and wrapped her arms around his torso, tucking her head under his chin, and breathing in his scent. "You're not… using me. I'm showing you where you could go."

He tentatively returned her hug, one hand stroking her long hair. He kissed the top of her head. "I missed you, _Cadet_."

She scoffed as she adjusted her head against his chest. "Don't think it gives you license to order me around."

"I wouldn't dream of it, love."

/-/

They settled down on the couch in Roy's living room, the heavy dinner they just finished weighing heavy on their bellies. It has been a few months since Roy got promoted to Colonel in East HQ and became in-charge of fraternization records, and Riza finally got promoted to First Lieutenant from Warrant Officer, so they decided to celebrate. "The State Alchemist Program, it's lucrative, but it doesn't recruit as many people as the higher ups hope for."

Riza shrugged and leaned back to rest her head. "Father hated the idea of someone ordering him what to do."

"Exactly, exactly!" he bounced in his seat and twisted to face Riza. "Alchemists are prideful creatures, why force them to be in the military where someone slaves them around all day?"

She narrowed her eyes to the side to look at him. "Why did _you_ join, then?"

It was his turn to shrug. "'Alchemist, be thou for the people.' I have…" he cast a glance at her, "... idealistic dreams, remember?"

She smiled, sat up, then squeezed his arm. "I was teasing."

"So I was thinking why not have the program, but not force the title of 'Major' to the State Alchemists?"

"How does that work?"

Roy proceeded to explain to Riza his plans of proposing that the State Alchemist Program will still be under government funding and the idea is the same, to have alchemists research their specialties for the benefit of the State and its people, but without the military bureaucracy and control. "Like an independent entity," he finished.

"But the point of having you in the military is so that you could be called to serve at a moment's notice."

"Why force service upon alchemists when the very reason most of us do anything is to want to help?"

She shook her head. "What about the ones who aren't like you? The military needs to control them from becoming too out of hand, too power-hungry."

"They could always strip the title and funding away."

Riza furrowed her brows together. "What's this sudden fixation about rearranging the program? General Grand isn't your direct boss anymore."

He sighed. He started in the military, and even managed to convince Riza to give him the secrets of Flame Alchemy, because of his idealistic notion that he could help all the people of Amestris. However, the more he thought about it, the more he believed how problematic it was for their country to continue being under a militaristic regime… to continue being under the regime that he inadvertently joined. "It doesn't feel right that the only way for the State to support alchemists is if they become a dog."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" he took a deep breath, "my dreams are bigger than they ever were." His onyx eyes stared hard at her amber ones. "It starts with changing the program; but I'm going to take the military down, eventually."

A slow smile crept onto her face, thinking he was joking, but it vanished when she realized that he was serious. "That's rebellion… or a coup, depending on how you want to do it." She frowned. Death was the punishment for anyone who fought the government, and since he was a State Alchemist, torture before death was more likely to be done to him as well.

"No," he shook his head, lips in a thin line, "not when someone takes it down from the top."

If she wasn't confused before, she was completely lost now.

"Think about it. If I," he poked his chest, "a lowly Colonel in-charge of fraternization paperwork says it, it's a coup. If Fuhrer President Bradley says it, it's a policy proposal."

She raised a brow, the pieces connecting together in her jumbled mind. "You want to be Fuhrer President."

He rubbed the back of his neck, unable to look at her in the eye. There was no need to verbalize she was right, he knew that she knew, so he said, "And turn Amestris into a democracy."

She gasped. "Why?"

"General Armstrong once told me: 'If we want peace, we must prepare for war.'"

"Yeah, that's why we have the military rule. We're strong in our defenses."

"What if, one day… hypothetically speaking, top brass orders the soldiers to go on the offense rather than defense?" He breathed. "What if you're given the order to go to the frontlines today and shoot everyone not in Amestris blue?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, the situation nor the possibility never crossed her mind.

"And the alchemists, the chained scientists, for all the research we've done in honing our skills… we could be ordered like the rest of you to go. A deadly mix of humans with weapons and weaponized humans." He continued, "See? But if people, _all_ the people had a choice, we could elect our leaders, we could voice our opinions about issues without fear."

His impassioned tone persisted, jaw tight, eyes unfocused on the floor, his thoughts running away with him. "Power should be in the hands of the people, not the highest ranking military officer. It should be the collective civilian authority reigning superior over military command at all times. And… I don't know, as a policy, I think Amestris has to outrightly renounce offensive war. We don't have that."

_There he is again_, she thought, looking at the man in front of her, the idealistic man who still wanted to carry the people of Amestris on his shoulders… the boy turned man who has taken her heart and locked it away where only he had access to. She reached over and held his cheek, turning his head to face her. She scrunched her face with a smile, "It's a beautiful dream," echoing the same words she once said before she gave him the secrets to Flame Alchemy.

"With that, Riza Hawkeye," he eased off the couch and knelt on one knee by her feet, revealing a velvet box from his pocket, "Will you marry me?" He opened the box, a shining diamond ring nestled inside, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my Queen? You don't have to be in the military anymore, I know you wanted to quit before I transferred here at East… I - please - "

"Roy - "

"- let me take care of you."

"_Roy_." Her hands felt clammy, and she refused to move from her seat for fear of her legs turning to jelly. She didn't hold her confusion back. "All that talk for this?" What kind of man led his proposal with talks of changing the government?

"I… umm…" he looked up at her, then back down at the tiny box in his hands, "Thought you should know where I plan to go, and I don't want to hold you back because I'm not leaving the military anytime soon."

She sighed, eyes closing shut as she shook her head. Of all the people she had to fall for, it had to be this one.

Roy's knee pressed harder down on the floor. She was shaking her head. _Oh no_.

"You're an idiot," she said, plucking the ring and slipping it on herself, "If you think I'm going to let you do this on your own."

He blinked, eyes glued to the ring now innocently gleaning on her finger.

She rolled her eyes and knelt down to the floor too, taking his collar and kissing him soundly on the lips. "I'll file our fraternization paperwork by tomorrow."

* * *

**AN: **Not-so-fun fact: I'm a law student in a democratic country so I just made Roy spit out a lot of things I studied hahahaha!

'Til next time!


	4. Shot in the Dark

**AN:** I wanted to dwell on Roy and Riza's road to adoption despite their chosen careers since we've already established what they want to do in the military hehe.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Shot in the Dark**

The newly minted General Roy Mustang curled his toes in his boots and set his lips in a thin line. It hadn't been a month since his recent promotion and he knew it wasn't going to be easy, but this was going too far. Paperwork got lost in his office every day, the responsibility falling on Riza and Falman's shoulders to sort through then asking Breda or Fuery to deliver them to the proper office, while Havoc stayed behind to man the phone and divide the work actually intended for them.

He conceded that it was his fault to some degree because he decided to start working in Central HQ a week earlier than scheduled. However, after a month of this, it was reasonable for one to expect that officers would have adjusted by now.

Falman groaned, and it was drawn out for longer than a second before the man jolted himself to stop since he realized he made the sound out loud.

Breda and Havoc snickered. Usually, it was either of them who sounded off their disapproval at the bureaucratic mess, but today it was Falman who took the award for "first to crack."

Riza leaned back in her seat and rolled her shoulders back. "Take a break, boys. You've earned it."

As one, four chairs scraped against the floor and boots thudded out the room with a click of the door.

Roy sighed as he dropped his pen on his desk, cracking his knuckles to the sound of plastic hitting wood. "I've earned a break too, yes?"

His wife gave him a small smile, her eyes sympathetic to their plight, but work had to take precedence. "Until your next meeting."

/-/

Mrs. Izumi Curtis, the newest State Alchemist, was one of the most down-to-earth people Riza ever encountered. Despite being on duty and in uniform, she found herself fighting down a smile every other moment that Izumi insisted she was a mere "housewife." _Not with those shoo-in marks into the Program._

"And my husband likes it too," said Izumi, "so thank you again."

"Please." Roy leaned back on the sofa chair. "If anything, I should be thanking you. You proved my proposal about the State Alchemist Program works." He smiled.

The brunette nodded. "Let's call it even, then. So," she waved a pile of papers in the air, "where do you want these?"

"Ah, thank you." He reached out, but Riza stepped forward and took the papers for him. "I swear I tried to lessen those," he eyed the pile resting in Hawkeye's arm, "but I can only ask for so much change at a time."

The other alchemist laughed, her head thrown back in sheer delight. "I heard rumors about you being a charmer and rumors about you being married. I suppose you being the charmer is the accurate one."

Riza's jaw clenched, her knees locking straighter in her stance from the side of Roy's chair. Just because they didn't have a big wedding with her in a white dress and a multi-tiered cake didn't mean their marriage wasn't real.

"Happily married too, Mrs. Curtis," he said, unconsciously flexing his ringless hand. He and Riza decided to keep their rings with their dog tags tucked underneath their uniforms, the bodyguard in Riza dictating upon them that a blatant sign of weakness like a ring is ill-advised.

"Oh." Her eyebrows shot up. "I'd love to meet her one of these days. I can only imagine how hard it is for her… what with our plans of expanding our family soon."

"Actually…" he twisted in his seat to eye the tense Riza, "you've met."

The Major allowed a small smile to slip through. "And I look forward to meeting the new Curtis child soon."

Izumi blinked at the blonde, then trailed her eyes down to Riza's undeniably empty left hand.

Riza's fingers twitched at the not-so-subtle inquiry. "I'm a weapons expert. A ring might hinder movement," she stated, though the question remained unasked.

"And your name?" inquired Izumi.

_Classic alchemist. Unapologetic, no holds barred questioning. _"Practicality. We're in the same office. Having two Mustangs will confuse things, despite the difference in ranks." Her eyes strayed momentarily to Roy's then back at the other woman. "But as a civilian, I did choose Riza Mustang." She didn't want to get stuck with her maiden surname anymore than what is necessary.

The desire to not be tied to a label was something Izumi knew well. "Ah, well then," she smiled at the blonde and stood from the couch, "It's great to meet you, Mrs. Mustang." She leaned forward and pressed her cheek against Riza's cheek, then drew back.

When the meeting ended, Roy begrudgingly returned to his desk with Riza laying down Izumi's papers on top of his growing stack of work. A soft hand on his shoulder and a silent sigh was all the indication Riza gave to him before she left the office, her own stack of papers in tow.

Roy raised Izumi's paperwork to his face and started to flip the pages. The woman was good. Too good. Her entry scores into the State Alchemist Program were exceptional, and above average at worst. "Good thing we found her before we transferred here," he murmured to himself. He laid the papers down and signed at the proper area before setting them off to the side.

He picked up the next piece of paper to work from. There was no time to slack off today, not with everyone in his office running ragged as they were already. All he wanted was to go home and sleep. Big, red bold letters greeted him: _"FOR ADOPTION TRANSFER"_

The General furrowed his brows at the files. It showed the personal information of two boys - Edward and Alphonse Elric - and a request to transfer them from the East to Central Adoption Center. "Falman," he called.

The man stood and approached. "Sir."

He extended his arm, papers in hand about to give them to Falman due to yet another logistical error, when something caught his eye. Blonde hair and dark golden eyes stared at him, and he paused. Pained, annoyed, tired eyes greeted him with a scowl in the face of the young boy.

"Sir?" prodded Falman.

Roy shook his head then brought the papers back on his desk and started to read through it. "False alarm."

"_Name: Edward Elric. Age: 10. Father's Name: Van Hohenheim. Father's Occupation: Alchemist. Unknown whereabouts. Mother's Name: Trisha Elric. Mother's Occupation: None. Deceased."_

He eyed the photo of the boy again and his chest ached. He blinked and a younger Riza's face flashed in his mind in the place of the boy. He blinked again then the boy's face returned.

He breathed in deep as he flipped to the next page. _"Name: Alphonse Elric. Age: 9," _with the same parental information his older brother had.

These boys were up for adoption? Alchemist father, dead mother, on top of their physical attributes… His eyes strayed to his wife's empty desk. It was undeniable that the boys reminded him of Riza too much.

/-/

Roy swallowed the lump in his throat, along with the mashed potatoes included in tonight's dinner. He knew he should have asked Falman to redirect the lost paperwork to the proper office, but he couldn't let them go. He slid them in an envelope and hid it in the car compartment, hoping for an opportunity to breach the topic as soon as possible.

"Roy?"

Mentally shaking himself back to the present, his gaze focused on a concerned-looking Riza.

"Are you alright?" She knew work was more than a lot to handle right now, but her husband wasn't the type to bring the worries of it back home.

"Ye…" a glint in the light caught his eye and he followed it down the chain around the blonde's neck, to the silver dog tags and two rings resting near her chest. Pride surged in his chest for a second because at least as a civilian, she chooses to display her rings out in the open. "Do you ever wonder what if?"

"What if… what?" her fingers absently traced the rings, knowing that he was looking at them. If he was having doubts about their marriage, she would tell him to sleep it off and knock him out with the butt of her gun.

He shrugged, thoughts not formulating as well as he hoped. "What if we adopted? Like Mrs. Curtis?"

"There won't be much difference with adopting and bearing. We still have our jobs to consider. If anything goes wrong…" Getting married while in active service in the military, with both of them under the same office getting sent to the same missions, had its set of risks. One wrong move in a mission or in their recruitment efforts for new State Alchemists and both of them could get injured or killed in the snap of a finger. "... poor kid would have to bear it." As morbid as it was, she was glad her only living relative was a grandfather she wasn't emotionally tied to because it lessened the impact should anything happen to her and Roy.

"But what if we could change their lives?"

"Whose?"

"The kids that we'll adopt?"

Where was this coming from? They talked about kids before getting married, and it had been a firm decision not to have any. "The hypothetical adopted kids… what makes them any different than the rest?" she asked. "What gives us the right to choose a specific one or a handful with the others still in the system?"

She tilted her head to the side, assessing her husband, hoping to find the real reason behind this conversation. "If it's about you getting adopted by Madame Christmas and you supporting the cause, you could just rally for better adoption policies, Roy."

"It's not that." He shook his head, his chest filling up with words he wanted to say. He cared for those Elric boys from the moment he read their files. There was a yearning from deep within him that was neither related to Amestris nor Riza that only those two boys could fill. "I found some boys."

She waited for him to elaborate with widened eyes. His words could mean a lot of different things and she was too tired to be imaginative right now.

"Two brothers," he gulped, daring to make eye contact with her, "up for adoption."

She pursed her lips, her head slowly nodding in realization. But she wasn't ready for that. She didn't know if she would ever be ready. She wondered why Roy was suddenly springing this on her. "For… us?"

He sensed her fear and apprehension. "Not if you don't want to," he said quickly, trying to be as assuring as possible, knowing that he was threading a very fine line. "I just… They - they're different."

She felt her brow arch. "Just how many adoption files have you been browsing through the past few days, or the past few weeks?" Is that why their office was under hell with all the messy paperwork? Was it actually attributable to their boss scouring through unnecessary adoption advertisements?

"Just them!" he raised his hands in front of her. "Their file got mixed in on my desk today."

She took a deep breath and knew that if he was bringing this up for discussion, he had already finished listing the benefits and drawbacks of this endeavor in his mind. "Out with it, then… The pros and cons." She'd wait for him to get it out of his system, then devise a scheme to shoot the idea down without hurting him.

"The con is we'll have to empty out a room so that both boys can have a room of their own. The pros are all in their files."

If possible, her already arched brow rose higher. "That's fully biased." _Please, no. I'm not ready to be a mother. I will never be ready to be a mother. _No one would be able to assure her that she wasn't going to be responsible for messing up these kids' lives.

/-/

The adoption files rested on her lap, spread out just enough that both boys' pictures stared up at her. Roy, like a magician, produced them from nowhere after a week from their initial conversation and handed it to her for her "consideration". She had to admit that even if she placed her husband's early bias aside, she still felt a tug in her heart whenever she eyed the files.

Edward, the elder of the two, had the best grades in his class despite his penchant for getting into fights. Riza knew that the boy was struggling with losing their mother so abruptly. Heaven knew she went through a similar phase when she lost her own mother. Alphonse, on the other hand, also had good grades but what struck Riza most about the younger Elric was his kind disposition despite the tragedy that he's faced. The caretaker had listed a lot of things Alphonse said or gave her during the span of time that the boys have been under her care, and Riza was impressed.

She wanted to meet them.

She sucked in a breath. What was she thinking? _Wanting to meet them and wanting to adopt them isn't the same, right?_

Riza browsed through the files again, and she realized that whenever she looked over them, she found something endearing about the boys each and every time. She found herself drawn to them, to their story, because it wasn't all that dissimilar to hers with regard to how her parents fared in life.

She found herself wishing them the best in life.

She found herself wanting to do more than just wish.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, tears pricking her eyes.

/-/

The sound of the door slamming open had Riza, Breda, and Havoc shoot up from their seats, guns drawn.

Izumi raised her hands in the air, shocked eyes blinking at the sharp contrast the soldiers displayed compared to how warm they welcomed her before. "Uh. Hi?"

"Mrs. Curtis," greeted Roy with a smile from his desk. "Hi." He smiled at her.

"What's going on?" she looked at the three guns still pointed in her direction.

"You spooked them with the door," was Roy's answer.

Riza shook her head before reholstering her weapon, with Breda and Havoc following suit. "Please come in." She gestured for the other woman to enter.

"Sorry about that. Forgot to knock." Izumi rubbed her nape, hesitantly creeping into the office. "I'm stressed about… I wouldn't happen to have misplaced some papers here, would I?"

"What were the files about, ma'am?" asked Falman. If it was wrongly given to their office, he was most likely to remember what it was.

"Uhh… adoption… papers?" she cringed. She only joined the State Alchemist Program when General Mustang changed it in such a way that people like her could remain as civilians, so paperwork was truly not one of her strongpoints.

Roy's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open. The Elric boys were the kids that Izumi and her husband were adopting?

Riza felt her heart sink. Oddly enough, she found herself chanting a whole lot of "No" in her mind.

Mustang cleared his throat. "Yeah, they're here," he murmured begrudgingly, opening his top drawer and pulling the papers out.

Izumi sighed in relief, walking up to Roy and reaching for the files.

"Those are the new Curtis children?" asked Riza, her monotone voice hiding an ache she couldn't quite place.

"Huh? Oh, no." She looked down on the papers then up at Hawkeye. "We're adopting their neighbor, a girl named Winry. Her grandmother died with the same thing these boys' mother had."

"Then…" prodded Roy, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

"I'm asking for their transfer to the Central Adoption Center to be closer to me and their friend. We…" she cringed, "tried to adopt the Elrics and Winry together, but since my income as a State Alchemist isn't established, and my husband's meat shop hasn't taken off yet, the system chopped us at being able to adopt three growing children." The alchemist sighed. "Maybe next year? But until then, they wait for an adopter." She wasn't hopeful. With Ed's temper, and the requirement of both boys being adopted together, Izumi was sure they'll still be up for adoption come next year.

Roy cleared his throat, and in his most authoritative voice he said, "Hawkeye. Mrs. Curtis, meeting room. Now." As an afterthought as he glanced at Izumi's face, he added as he stood, "Please."

/-/

Izumi looked at Hawkeye's tense stance behind her husband, who had a similarly tense demeanor in his seat. "Uhh, what's going on?" she asked.

"So those boys…" he turned to spare a glance back at his wife. Riza sighed and subtly nodded her head. Her heart dropping like a 10-ton weight when she thought Izumi was adopting those boys was enough to convince her that she will regret letting them go. "... are up for adoption?"

"Well, I mean, yeah." She shrugged, she didn't know why this called for an isolated conversation. The papers said it all: 'for adoption transfer'. "Sorry I got it mixed with my papers, alright? I'm not good with formalities." Was she going to get punished for a bunch of papers? Was that why? If she was, she was going to re-evaluate her joining this stupid institution, high pay be damned.

"It's not that, Mrs. Curtis," appeased Roy. "I'm curious if the boys get adopted, will that be alright with you?"

"Yeah, for sure!" she said, suddenly hopeful that the General might know someone who could provide a home for the Elrics sooner than she had anticipated. "Do you know someone? Because they're arriving in Central… hmm, at least a month from when I pass these and get them processed," she tapped the misplaced papers that started it all, "but I think it would be great for the boys to move with a family ready to take them in by then."

Riza subtly swallowed the lump in her throat. It was a shot in the dark but, she knew that from this point onward, she had to be the best she could be to set a good example for those boys and to make their country a better place to live in.

* * *

**AN: **Woooo! Chapter 4 of 23, y'all! This was more difficult to write than I anticipated because I personally relate more to Riza pre-reading the Elric files, like I can't imagine myself having kids for fear of messing them up.

Anyway, I have been on a Sofia Carson music trip for awhile, so… even if no one asked, I was only able to finish this chapter by endlessly looping her song "Ins and Outs". I know it's a love song but I felt like it fit (lol).

'Til next time!


	5. Double-edged Sword

**AN: **

Prompt: "Trust is an art. Trust is not a feeling; it's a choice. Trust as much as you love." (A priest in our school once said this and I knew I had to do something about it lol)

Also, fair warning since this is an AU, Scar remains as the bad guy here. Though I really love Scar's character development in the series, I couldn't fit it in this little universe of mine.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Double-edged Sword**

"Higher," coached Riza, eyeing the two boys as they each punched makeshift workout dummies. "Ed, try to hit the mark with each swing. Al, try swinging your arm faster."

"Good," she praised after a few minutes as the boys sat down on the grass to take a break. "We can start on kicking basics tomorrow."

"Aww, can't we do that today?" asked Al, chest heaving up and down from exertion.

She smiled down at him and petted his sweaty hair. "It's not good to do things in excess."

"Isn't that being mediocre?" questioned Ed.

His question made her pause, as they usually do. "It's a fine line between mediocrity and taking care of yourself," she eventually said, knowing from experience how the desire to not be mediocre could cause a trade-off of one's self. She decided she didn't want them chasing perfection at all, especially when the concept of perfection was an unnecessary burden on society.

The next day, Riza woke to the two boys already doing drills in the backyard. It was good they were invested in their lessons, but she struggled to find a way to instill a balance in them. They really did remind her of Roy with their one-track mind and constant desire to be better than their last attempt.

"Good morning," she greeted them as she stepped out the door.

"Good morning!"

"Morning."

"Come here," she beckoned, and silently patted herself in the back when they obeyed her instantly. As much as she struggled to find ways to teach them about life, she must be doing _something_ right for them to instantly obey her in simple requests.

When the boys stood in front of her, she took a seat on the patio floor. She always did prefer talking to them at eye level. "What time did you start punching and kicking?"

"6 am," said Ed proudly, his nose high in the air.

"Around 6:10?" said Al, head hung low.

"Do you think you perfected your techniques, given how early you started?" she asked them.

Both boys shook their heads and Ed said, "Everyone needs more time to perfect something."

"Do you believe in it?" she eyed Ed. "Perfection, I mean." The boys were really giving her a run for her money here. She didn't want to suppress their drive to be the best, but she also didn't want them running themselves to the ground like Roy did in his early apprenticeship days under her father.

"No, but we can always strive to be as close as possible," the older Elric boy said after visibly contemplating his answer.

Riza ran her hands through the boys' heads. "Do you know what will get you there?"

"Practice," huffed Ed. _Duh._

She shook her head. "Trust. I'm teaching you self-defense." She looked at Ed, then Al. "Self-defense is an art, and_…_" her hands dropped to hold their shoulders. "Trust is an art more than a science."

She nudged their shoulders forward so both boys turned around to look at the backyard and the training dummies. "Trust that you will hit the target, and trust that you will not be hit. Sometimes there is no calculation involved, just the heart."

Riza stood and dusted herself off. _Trust me_, she thought, then decided against saying it. Instead, she said, "Trust each other. You can practice as early as you can everyday but if there is even a single inch of doubt, you're always going to think that you're not good enough and you can't hit the targets properly."

/-/

"State alchemists don't deserve to be treated like the children of god himself! Much less procreate more alchemists!" shouted Scar, the rain crashing down heavily against them. In his arm, at the crook of his elbow, was a struggling Ed bound by the arms and legs, his mouth taped over.

Roy grit his teeth as he fired a gun up at the sky. "That's enough!" he barked, cursing Central Elementary School's crappy security. How could they let someone like Scar in the school grounds?

"General Mustang," acknowledged Scar.

"You know who I am and still decide to take the boy?" He tightened his gloves around his wrists and tossed the gun behind him, knowing his wife would catch it without a problem.

"Tch. Head State Alchemist." He failed to get into the program because of this man's lack of approval, among others.

Riza looked at Scar, the gun Roy tossed resting in her hand, and contemplated about shooting him. Suddenly doubt in her own abilities came rushing forward when she gazed at Ed. _What if I miss and hit Ed?_

In her internal debate, she failed to notice her commanding officer getting cocky and sauntering nearer to the enemy.

"Correct. I am the Head State Alchemist, Roy Mustang." He showed his glove, the array imprinted thereon.

"Another one of those responsible for my current non-State Alchemist status." He dropped his hold of Ed, the boy landing on the ground with a thud.

When Ed's sloshing against pavement and rain brought Riza back to the present, she tried to get her husband's attention. "General!" _It's raining._

"This only proves you aren't worthy of the title, Scar," said Mustang, walking further toward the enemy, his hand poised to snap. This man kidnapped, gagged, bound, and even dropped Ed! _There's going to be hell to pay._

"General!" she tried again, but Scar already pounced to attack.

_Shit._ Acting on instinct, Riza ran and dropped to kick Roy's legs from beneath him just as Scar's hand closed in on his face. He crashed with a large yelp, but she couldn't stop to check if she injured him. _Better injured than dead._

"What was that for, Hawkeye?!" he demanded.

She drew one of her guns with her free hand, and started a round of successive shots against Scar. "You - know - full well - you're - useless - on rainy - days, _sir_," she said in between shots.

The enemy was surprisingly quicker than Hawkeye could shoot the two guns in her hands. Scar managed to punch her in the face, effectively knocking her down to the ground, and started to inch his hand toward her face.

"Ri-!"

She gasped at the sound of Roy's voice and evaded as quickly as she could just as Roy's fist connected with Scar's jaw. She flicked her damp bangs away from her face, scrambled to gather a weapon in her grasp, and returned to shooting at the man; finally grazing him in the arm, then lodging a bullet dead into both of his legs, completely incapacitating him.

Ed's eyes widened at the events unfolding before him. His adoptive mother almost died _for_ Roy. What the heck? Why was she willing to risk her life like that?

Mustang and his men apprehended Scar and started to make arrangements for medics and arresting officers as the skies began to clear of rain.

Riza ignored the buzz around her, holstering both weapons in her person, and ran to Ed. She clumsily untied the boy and ripped the tape from his mouth, much to both their chagrin. She patted him all over his body, checking for injuries, not unlike the first time he came home bruised up due to Al's bully. She sighed in relief and sat on the ground, her hands on Ed's shoulders. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

The boy glared at her. "You tell me." Her left eye was already swelling from where Scar punched her.

She shook her head with a small smile, shrugging her jacket off and wrapping it around Ed. That snark was her indication he was fine. "I've had worse." She was grateful for the sun shining through the clouds once more, at least the boy would dry quicker that way.

"Thanks for the save," said Roy, approaching his wife from behind.

She smirked as she stood. "Thanks for the save," she echoed back. Though he let her first name slip out while on the job, she trusted whatever he cued her in for and that saved her neck.

Ed looked up at the two adults. Riza once told them that trust was an art, but he realized it was more than that upon seeing Roy and Riza's dynamic. _Trust isn't a feeling; it's a choice._

His adoptive mother trusted his semi-useless adoptive father and vice versa so much, it didn't matter what the situation called for - he had her back as much as she was willing to die for his.

/-/

Around a month after Ed got kidnapped and their adoptive parents almost died trying to protect him and each other; Al found himself wandering off to the roof, be it in school or at home, more often. He had a new apprehension about staying on the ground since that's how his brother got kidnapped in the first place.

He looked down at the schoolyard and saw from the distance his pop's bright blue uniform sticking out like a sore thumb among the throngs of other parents who wore pastel colors or dark suits. Ed was out on a school trip, but that didn't explain why his mom wasn't the one to pick him up. Nonetheless, the boy rushed down to the schoolyard to meet his pop halfway.

"Pop!" Al jumped into Roy's arms, excited that he was the one to pick him up from school today.

"Hey, kiddo." Roy set the child down on the ground, his expression grim as they walked toward his car.

"Where's mom?"

Roy momentarily paused in the act of buckling his seatbelt. "We're going to pick her up."

They stopped in front of the hospital lobby where a bruised up Riza, nearly half of her face was wrapped in bandages, with a sling on her left arm stood waiting. Al rushed out the car, lip trembling and tears threatening to burst at the sight of her. "Mom?"

She bent at the waist, smiling down at Al. "Hi." She placed her uninjured hand on his head then guided him back to the car.

"Who hurt you?" asked the boy from the backseat halfway through the silent trip home.

"Some bad guys trying to hurt pop."

Roy parked the car with more force than usual and stormed out. He was still mad at Riza for using herself as a human shield for him. If he was being honest though, he was more mad at himself for not having faster reflexes. Again.

Al helped Riza to the couch as she asked.

She sighed in relief when her back hit the cushions. "Will you be alright for a few hours, Al? I need to rest." The painkillers they dosed her with was going to knock her out soon.

The boy nodded, then headed to the backyard where Roy was to inform him. "Pop? Mom's gonna rest for awhile." Al waited for a response, but none came. He stared at his pop's hunched back, sitting on the floor with his face in his hands, elbows propped on his knees. "Pop?" prodded Al. Was he sick too? He walked over to him then rubbed his small hand against Roy's back, like what Riza did when they were sick.

Roy jolted at the touch, twisting his head to look at the boy. "What's up?"

"Are you sick too?"

"Uhh, no."

"Mom's gonna rest for awhile," he repeated after realizing his pop didn't hear him.

Roy swallowed the lump in his throat. "Right." He shakily rose to his feet. He should be the one to cook dinner tonight. He paused when he re-entered their home and saw Riza on the couch, her slinged arm over her torso, black shirt tucked out of her military pants. Since their kitchen was adjacent to the living room, he couldn't start dinner without rousing her. With a dejected sigh, he quietly climbed the stairs and went into their bedroom to change out of his uniform.

He didn't realize Al followed him there until he was in the middle of shoving his legs into his pajama pants. "Sh -" He caught himself. "Al."

"Why do bad guys always want to hurt you?" He remembered Ed telling him about how pop almost got killed by the Scar guy, and he recalled his conversation with Riza back in his first visit to the shooting range. He asked her if Roy's dream was worth it for his adoptive mom to get hurt in his behalf, and she told him to ask pop instead.

"Umm." He sat down on their bed, pulling down the edges of his shirt so he was fully covered. "Come here." He patted the space beside him. Al climbed up and sat as he was told. "I chase after bad guys, so they want to hurt me."

The child furrowed his brows. "Because bad guys want to hurt good guys?" He's heard all the stories about how the bad guys fight the good guys, and good always wins.

Roy nodded. That's one way to put it.

"What's your dream?"

"Huh?"

He straightened his back and looked at Roy dead in the eye. "Why does mom get hurt for it? For your dream?"

He blinked. _Oh. _"I want to change the country, in the long run I think it will be for the greater good." He figured that was the most bare-bone explanation. "Riza, she… she wants to make sure I get there." _Even at the cost of her own self._

"For a better country," mumbled the boy. "Mom loves you." That's why she was following pop. Riza never said she wanted to change the country, she just wants Roy to be safe.

"And I love her," said Roy, his jaw tight.

Al saw the look of resolve on his pop's face, they were like the flames from his alchemy. Mom once told him and Ed to trust each other, and Ed told him that trust was a choice. _Trust is a choice, sure, but you should also trust as much as you love. _The only reason why his adoptive parents were surviving amidst everything was because they had each other. _Trust brother… trust mom and pop._

* * *

**AN: **I do plan on sticking through with this. Life is just busy right now, but if there's anything that makes me sad: it's a dropped fic.

So, anyway, this is chapter 5 out of 23 guaranteed chapters, you lovely people. 'Til next time! Sending love to you all!


	6. Lock and Load

**AN: **Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Lock and Load**

Roy ran his hand through his hair in frustration as Havoc haphazardly sped through the streets. His team was assigned on a field mission at the last minute despite him being a General already. His team wasn't supposed to be doing this anymore!

"Warehouse 13 up ahead," buzzed in Fuery, who was in a separate car with Breda and Falman, into each of Team Mustang's in-ear intercoms. He wanted to test the range of the devices so he insisted they go there in separate vehicles. They were to set up their base of operations in the assigned Warehouse before proceeding accordingly.

The Head State Alchemist's jaw tensed. He had to admit he could have rejected the assignment, but his idealistic and ambitious ass couldn't resist the challenge and definite benefits if they end up successful in this mission. The military had been tracking this head honcho illegal arms dealer for months, to no avail. The first and only lead showed up today, and Roy jumped at the opportunity to nab him.

"Kate, what did Charity say?" came Riza's voice, using Fuery's codename just in case.

Roy jolted in his seat and turned to look at his wife, sitting on the passenger seat beside Havoc. Who was Charity?

"Still no answer from their shop, Elizabeth. I'll call them again later."

Havoc parked inside Warehouse 13, with the other car following a few seconds later. They closed down the big doors of the warehouse to conceal them inside.

Fuery started setting up their communication lines from the warehouse and redialled Christmas' Bar.

"Who's Charity?" asked Roy, walking over to Fuery, hunched over a rectangular blinking device.

The young man flicked a switch off, killing their in-ear communication lines. "Madame Christmas, sir."

He furrowed his brows. "What for?" Due to Fuery's expertise, their team had the rare capability to contact civilian lines during a mission without it being traced back to the military, but Roy made it an order to only use it when absolutely necessary.

Riza wanted to slap her palm to her face had she not been in the middle of setting up camp with the rest of the men.

"Ed and Al, sir," replied Fuery, gaze locking with Riza's since the order came from the Major herself.

"Shit!" He forgot he had _sons_ when he committed to this indefinite mission. Roy pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. Almost 1700H. The boys' dismissal time was at 1500H and who would look after them while they're on the field?

"It's alright, sir," said Riza from across their pseudo base of operations, reading her husband's mind. "It was a good thing we introduced Ed and Al to the Madame and some of your sisters beforehand."

He sighed. "Aunt Chris said this would happen sooner or later. I was naive to think it wasn't even a possibility."

/-/

Ed stared up at the stocky woman puffing smoke from her lips. This was supposed to be his adoptive grandmother, but she refused to be called as such. "Madame," greeted the boy, using one of the preferred names of the woman in front of him, "what are you doing here?"

"Where's mom and pop?" asked Al.

"You're going to stay with me for awhile. Roy and Riza are stuck at work." She didn't know who might be listening in so she decided to divert.

The older Elric glared. No matter how busy either of them got, Roy or Riza made sure to always pick them up themselves or one from Roy's Team. "Where are they, really?"

"Tch." She blew smoke in the direction of the boy's face and gave him a hard stare, hoping to convey the words that cannot be verbalized.

Ed immediately understood and nodded. "Where are we headed?"

Christmas smirked. _Smart kid indeed. _"My car's outside." She led them to her vehicle where one of Roy's sisters sat behind the wheel. Christmas climbed into the passenger seat and waited for the boys to strap themselves in at the backseat.

"Cornelia, these are Ed and Al," said Christmas as the girl started to drive out of school property.

"So where are they really?" asked Ed, crossing his arms in front of him.

"They were sent on a mission. We're picking up things from your house then you'll live with us until they're done." Christmas thanked her lucky stars Riza told her about Ed's preference for straightforward answers.

"When are they coming back?" asked Al. He didn't want to think bad about his mom and pop, but it awfully sounded like they were being abandoned.

"Can't tell for sure," said Christmas, pointing to the direction of Roy and Riza's house as Cornelia parked the car. "Pack at least 5 days' worth of clothes and uniforms. The girls will wash them for you if your stay gets extended."

The boys filed out of the car to do as they're told with Al holding back tears and Ed biting his tongue.

/-/

Ed and Al were guided to a four-floor structure where the madame told them the ground floor was absolutely off-limits at nighttime because only adults were allowed at that time. It didn't matter to the boys since the room they settled in was their adoptive father's childhood room and they were able to rummage through his leftover alchemy books.

"He used to have real bad handwriting," commented Al, flipping through the pages.

"Tsk. It didn't change at all."

"Brother," scolded Al. He knew Ed was as worried as he was about their mom and pop, if not more.

He huffed and looked away. "I just need something normal."

"Why? Do you think they're not coming back?"

"I didn't say that."

Al glared. "I asked if you _think_ that."

"I don't know what to think!" Ed shouted. Granted their adoptive parents didn't abandon them, what on earth could keep them from coming home? The madame said they were on a 'mission,' but Ed had been a victim and witness to one of their missions before yet Roy and Riza still managed to come home by the end of the day.

"What if they die?"

Ed's back straightened as if electricity coursed through his spine. He didn't think of that possibility. Their real mother died of natural causes, but here was their new parents, willingly entering into situations that could possibly harm them for the benefit of the common good. _What if they died already and the madame is just waiting for the right time to tell us?_

/-/

It's been four days since they set up camp in Warehouse 13 where Roy, Riza, Havoc, and Breda alternated schedules in setting up the perimeter and tracking their target. Tonight, Roy and his team was set up to execute their plan to apprehend the target.

Riza and Havoc were stationed on opposite buildings with a clear shot of the street below. She dug her heel onto the ground, waiting with bated breath for their target to come out.

"On the move at your 9 o' clock, Braidykins," murmured Falman, quickening his pace to follow the arms dealer about to exit the building they were in.

"On it," said Breda, closing in on the target as Falman appeared on the man's other side.

"Am I on the correct exit point?" asked Roy, standing by outside where he knew both Riza and Havoc had a clear view as aerial support.

"Yes, Exit B," was Falman's reply.

The arms dealer left the building, seemingly unaware of the two military men trailing behind him.

Roy casually walked ahead of their target, knowing his team had his back.

"Yo, why doesn't he have bodyguards?" said Havoc, using his gun's scope to follow their target's movements. With how difficult the military tracked this guy, he should have at least some form of security personnel.

"I agree," weighed in Riza, scoping out Roy's immediate vicinity for potential threats. "Tread lightly, g - Ugh."

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth!" said Fuery, trying to reconnect Riza's line from their base.

Roy's jaw tensed but he kept walking lest he become suspicious to their target.

"Vanessa, watch the King. I can't leave my scope out this guy," said Havoc. The mission had to continue though Riza's aim was admittedly much better than his.

They heard a gunshot and the target started to panic and ran in a different direction. Falman gave chase as Breda flanked Roy and they followed after the white-haired man.

"He's getting away!" screamed Havoc, the moving target now impossible for him to shoot.

"Who the heck fired that shot?!" hissed Roy, making a turn to hopefully cut the man off at the next intersection.

Static filled their ears and each of the men cringed at the sound. They then all heard, "Sorry, sir. I had company."

"Elizabeth," sighed Roy in relief despite the high-speed chase they were doing on foot. "Vanessa, estimated location."

"Standby 2nd street! It's the only way he could go if we block 5th!" Falman knew if the target ran through 5th, he would have more side streets to hide into rather than if they force him to take 2nd.

"Clear on 5th. Elizabeth?"

Riza took a deep breath to steady herself, sparing a glance at the man that attacked her. "I'm here." She grabbed her rifle, wiped the excess blood off her lip, then perched in position. "Ready when you are."

Roy smirked. "Good, because we have kids to get home to." He raised his hand and snapped.

/-/

They managed to wrap up the mission right before midnight with Riza only sustaining a cut on her lip. Roy ordered his men to go home as he and his wife rushed to Christmas' Bar. Loud music echoed through the walls and the establishment was lit in a dimmed reddish color when the couple entered still dressed in their grimy mission clothes.

"Elizabeth! Roykins!" greeted Raven, another one of Roy's sisters. She ushered them away from the patrons and into a door hidden beside the bar. "Come, come, just the specials for you." She led them up the stairs and toward Roy's childhood bedroom. "I doubt they're asleep," she said, casting a glance at Riza, "they don't cause trouble. The madame just knows when someone's not sleeping."

Roy grinned. He used to get in so much trouble with Aunt Chris when he lost track of time reading alchemy books before he was sent off for his apprenticeship.

"Thank you." Riza's smile was as strained as her voice. She was tired and dirty but to rest first before letting the boys know they were alright seemed like a sin. "We'll take it from here."

Raven reached over and flicked some dirt off Riza's cheek, then wiped her hand down her body-hugging, glittery dress. "I'll let the madame know."

Riza faced the door like she was going in front of a firing squad. She suddenly thought fighting back assailants would be better than what she was about to do.

Roy grabbed hold of her hand. "Lock and load, Major." They were in this together, though like his wife, he was nervous on how to deal with and explain what happened and what may happen in the future that they have more missions like this.

Without knocking, Riza opened the door.

Al and Ed were on the floor, sharing a lamp, as they read from separate books. Al was the first to look up at them and he was stunned speechless at the sight of his adoptive parents. Ed, on the other hand, was too focused on his book to notice his surroundings.

"The madame knows you're awake no matter what you do," said Roy, flipping the room's light switch on.

Ed yelped.

"You're alive!" cried Al, rising to his feet and running to hug Roy and Riza.

Ed scowled, but he approached his adoptive parents anyway. He thought the relief that settled in the pit of his stomach was a weakness so he hid it and refused to verbalize anything related to it. "Welcome back."

Riza knelt on the floor and pulled Ed toward her then kissed Al's temple. "I'm sorry it was all so sudden. And…" she pulled away from them, "I'm still dirty, so no more hugs until I at least change."

The Mustang/Elric family huddled close on Roy's childhood bed and they didn't notice the hours that passed as they talked in length about the extent of Roy and Riza's jobs.

"I promise I'll try to lessen these things," said Roy, "but of course, it's never guaranteed. We'll make sure that someone looks after you, though."

"Al thought you left and died," said Ed.

The older boy was visibly putting on a brave front and Riza knew better. He was just as worried as Al was. "All people die," she said, trying to be as factual as possible. "But we would never leave you." They weren't blood, but the winter will rain fire first before she abandoned these boys by choice.

* * *

**AN: **I don't know if my chapter themes are coming through in my finished products, but I do try lol. Sending love to you all!

'Til next time!


	7. Battle of Nerves

**AN: **I thought I'd try something different with this one with Team Mustang's individual takes on the Mustang/Elric family in the middle of a crisis.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Battle of Nerves**

Kain Fuery may have been the youngest in their team, but he knew where his strengths were and how to use them like their other teammates. When he received the call from Hawkeye about Al missing from school, he automatically sent distress radio signals as quietly as possible to relevant authorities in the hopes that anyone has seen the boy within the specific time frame given.

"One last thing," said Hawkeye before she ended the call to him, "wait for me to get back before telling the General."

Fuery gulped. He was definitely _not _going to be the one who told the General about the missing boy. Their office was sent into a frenzy the time that Ed got kidnapped, now Al was missing? He knew it was best to stay put and quiet until the Major returned.

He didn't have to wait long as Major Hawkeye strode into the office half an hour later, her usually crisp updo gone and in its place was a haphazardly tied ponytail. Without acknowledging the rest of them, she went straight into the meeting room (where the General was taking his lunchtime nap) and closed the door with a soft click.

"Are you gonna tell us what's going on or are we gonna wait for the boss?" asked Breda, lips set in a grim line and eyes focused on Fuery.

Fuery swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Al's missing," he whispered. Both the General and the Major were near-perfect soldiers, making them one of the best duos the military has ever seen, but he, like the rest of the team, knew they were human underneath it all.

"Well, shit." Havoc leaned back in his seat and idly chewed on the end of his unlit cigarette.

Falman focused his attention to the door Hawkeye had disappeared into as he heard raised voices from within.

"You should have told me the second you knew!"

"It wouldn't have changed a thing, and you know it. _Now_, I'm telling you _now_ because I finally have some information about where he was last seen."

"This isn't a mission, Hawkeye! You don't wait for information, gather up intelligence and whatnot. This is our child!"

Riza stood her ground, knowing her husband would see the need to be logical at this time. "He was last seen at the Central Train Station boarding the train heading East. It is unknown whether he had armed adults accompanying him."

Roy clenched his jaw. He knew his wife was hurting too, but they wouldn't find Al if he was emotionally charged. His eyes tracked her rigid posture, unclipped hair, and stern frown. "No demands?"

She shook her head. "I asked Fue-"

Without waiting for her to finish, Roy barged into his shared office with the rest of his team. "Fuery. Status report."

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Fuery sat with his back hunched forward, pressing the headset tight against his ears, listening to all the reports coming through the lines.

"Too many blonde boys passed by here."

"Blonde is too common a color to isolate, sir."

"How tall is the boy again?"

"Is he unaccompanied?"

Unlike when Ed was kidnapped, Scar's demand and various reports of his damage to the city were instantaneously made. They weren't so lucky with Al this time. Fuery grit his teeth and switched channels every so often in order to coordinate with the rest of the Eastern train stations. He then looked up at Major Hawkeye quietly talking with the Officer-in-Charge of the East City Train Station.

"I understand, ma'am, we would have reported any suspicious activity immediately though. We fear if it is indeed a kidnapping, he was crated along the way."

"Crated," echoed Hawkeye, seemingly deadpan as ever.

Fuery bolted upright with that one word that Hawkeye murmured as chills ran down his spine. The officer clearly didn't realize how minor changes in intonation with Hawkeye's speech meant a whole lot. Of course, it took him years to notice as well, but now that he knew what to look out for, he was petrified. The deadpan face but rigid posture was Hawkeye's way of coping with the stressful situation.

"Yes, ma'am, we're tracking the newly marked crates as we speak."

Riza's eyebrow slightly twitched, but she had to rein in her rising temper. "Thank you for your efforts. Keep us posted." She turned to leave while Fuery gathered his things and stood.

"Ma'am?"

_Don't do it, don't,_ prayed Fuery. _Don't gossip._

She took a deep breath and faced the man once more.

"I hear the kid's the Flame Alchemist's son?"

Fuery sighed, eyes observing Riza closely.

She grit her teeth, but kept her lips firmly closed. "Yes, which is why this needs to be contained as much as possible."

"Man, can't imagine what they're going through. Kid has nothing to do with his father's career."

"Or his mother's," Riza can't help but say, "I _know_." This was why she didn't want to adopt in the first place. Eventually, unwanted and extraneous dangers will follow the children as well. Her husband was an exceptionally good soldier and if you were as good as he was, you were bound to have lots of enemies.

"Damn," commented the nosy officer, "the mother's in the military too?"

Fuery backed away. Major Hawkeye was known to keep calm under the worst situations, but ever since she and the General adopted the Elric brothers, it was all unchartered territory for the team. He would not get in the way of any bodily harm Hawkeye was capable of inflicting on the other officer.

"Yes," was Hawkeye's clipped reply. "I am." She then stalked off, not paying attention to the man's shouted and stuttered apologies.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" asked Fuery when they were back on the train headed for the next station.

"Of course." She sat straighter in her seat as she curled her toes inside her boots.

"We'll find him," he assured, knowing she was lying. The Major was tougher than most people, but the younger soldier knew even she had her limits.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Heymans Breda knew something was amiss with Fuery the moment the black-haired man returned the phone to its cradle. The stout man knew what he lacked in speed physically, he more than made up for in his quick wit and intellect. So when their boss stormed out of the meeting room with Hawkeye in tow after Fuery told them what had happened, Breda was the first to leap to his feet. They had a mission.

Hawkeye and Fuery were left at the East City Station to coordinate what their team expects from all Eastern Train Stations while Mustang and the rest of them traveled to Youswell, the next station, to interview people who may have seen Al. If it proved fruitless, they will split up and divide the stations amongst themselves to cover more ground.

"Nothing out of the ordinary today, sir," said the Youswell Station Officer to Roy.

Havoc and Falman were preoccupied with the train operator so Breda stood behind Roy as guard.

"Huhl, if I were kidnapping someone, I surely wouldn't announce it to the world until I want to make a demand, would I?"

_Sarcasm_, thought Breda, _Chief's defense mechanism. _Smart men always translated weakness into another form and in this case, his boss used sarcasm, alchemy, or extreme anger, depending on the situation. It wasn't that long ago that Ed was paraded in the middle of the city as a hostage and now Al was missing. It couldn't be easy for the still-adjusting couple.

"Keep us posted," ordered Roy. He and Breda then regrouped with Havoc and Falman to discuss the inevitable splitting up of their team.

"Aren't we wasting time by scoping out the stations? What if they're far gone from the station by now?" asked Havoc.

"Yes, but which station are they 'far gone' from?" was Breda's reply, to which Roy nodded his agreement.

"When Hawkeye arrives," said Roy, almost wincing at how robotic he sounded as if it wasn't his own son missing, as if he wasn't talking about his wife, "Falman keeps an eye on Ed while Fuery manages communication lines, Breda and Havoc will go to Reole, then New Optain, and we will go to Ishbal, then Resembool."

They dispersed to take a break while waiting for Hawkeye and Fuery.

It was understood that when Mustang said 'we,' it automatically meant him and Hawkeye.

Breda noticed the General's breathing was heavier than usual, his posture (like Hawkeye's) forced. It was an act to convince them he was on top of the situation when he was anything but. He approached the dark-haired man and stood one step behind him, acting as his bodyguard until the Major arrived.

The orange-haired man knew they were a team like no other. Mustang, early into his military career, handpicked them specifically when no one else bothered to look beyond their physical attributes. While Mustang and Hawkeye were formidable together, the rest of them served a particular purpose that enhanced their overall value as a team.

"It's best to count me out as an asset for this," mumbled Roy, knowing Heymans was analyzing their 'mission' and the probability of success with no injuries on their part. "I'm compromised."

He smirked. "Nah, Chief. You're doing fine so far."

Mustang scoffed, hands digging deep into his pockets as he looked up at the afternoon sky. "I wonder."

Breda was one of the first people to know about Mustang and Hawkeye's decision to adopt, but unlike most people, he was hesitant about it - not because he thought they couldn't do it, but because he knew it would be tough for his two superiors to balance their careers and the children. He knew they would be committed to the children, while it was already established they were committed to their country, so he wondered how it would all work out for them.

Now, however, Breda was amazed at Mustang's composure. He may be the father of the missing child, but right now as he commandeered them all, he was the Head of the State Alchemist Program and the youngest person to ever reach General.

The approaching train whistled and Roy sighed. "Let's get back to work, Breda."

"Sir."

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Vato Falman counted his lucky stars when he was not sent on the hunt with the rest of the team. Ed and Fuery sat on either side of him as the younger officer tinkered with the communicator device responsible for keeping track of the rest of the team's movements. While Falman knew he was fit enough to do any job, he didn't have the shooting accuracy Havoc or Hawkeye possessed, or the mental calmness Breda had, or the technical skills Fuery displayed.

"Vanessa," came Mustang's voice through Fuery's communication device.

"Sir?"

"What was the name of that guy Jacqueline punched in Reole?"

"Ugh. Chief," groaned Havoc.

"Father Cornello," was Falman's automatic reply, "accosted on the third of May, twenty - "

"I wouldn't forget the name, _Vanessa_," said Havoc, forcefully emphasizing Falman's codename.

Mustang laughed, though it sounded weak. "ETA to Reole?"

_Business as usual,_ thought Falman. He realized the General must be trying to lighten the team's mood since he and Hawkeye were definitely wound up tight.

"2 minutes."

"We're 5 to Ishbal. No heroes."

When the lines went dead, Ed asked, "What does 'no heroes' mean?"

Falman straightened at the question. Mustang always said it during missions and this was no different. "The General doesn't want us to go the extra mile and get ourselves injured." _Or worse, killed._

"He's asking you to be mediocre? But that's my brother!" _His so-called 'son'._

Fuery flinched in his seat but continued to tinker with the device on his lap, a silent request for Falman to handle the situation.

The white-haired man raised his hands in front of him to placate the child. "It doesn't mean we wouldn't do it… go the extra mile, I mean."

"Huh?"

"The General and Major always order us to not be heroes because they hate it when we get injured in the line of duty." He recalled one of their earliest missions when Hawkeye literally caught a bullet for him with her leg, much to Mustang's rage afterwards. "But they themselves get hurt protecting us," he shrugged, "they don't realize we'd easily 'be heroes', so to speak, if it ever came down to it and they needed us."

"Not that they ever _really _needed us," quipped Fuery. "Your parents are something else, sir."

"Something else," mumbled the child. _I hope that means they'd find Al soon and safe._

Falman observed the contemplative blond. It was true what people said about his and his brother's similarities to Hawkeye physically, though the silent but fierce determination in those golden irises were like Mustang's without a doubt. _Like fire. _

Ed then peered up at him. "How do you remember everything and everyone? You could be an alchemist with that memory."

_Changing the topic. Smooth. _He offered an awkward smile as the topic always made him uncomfortable. "I think I was born with it, no one knows why."

"Why the military and not alchemy?"

"Ah." He took a deep breath. "We were poor, and the military offers free housing and food if you can keep up with the training." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I barely managed to pass."

"You're not poor anymore?"

Ed's curiosity was a known fact by now to everyone and anyone who met him, but it was the first time Falman had to deal with it firsthand. "Not since I worked under the General, no."

He tilted his head to the side. "Why?"

"In the military, you're only as good as where you're posted. Major Hawkeye and Havoc are known sharpshooters and the General is a State Alchemist - it doesn't matter where they're posted, but us," he stole a glance at Fuery, "we weren't treated the same."

Before Ed could ask another question, a crackling sound and Breda's voice came in to their communication devices, "The New Optain track is out due to repairs. We'll cut time and meet with Elizabeth in Resembool."

Ed shot to his feet and eyed the two adults accompanying him. "Resembool?!"

Falman recovered from the child's outburst first and nodded.

"Tch." The young blond curled his fists against his sides. How could he forget? It's the 3rd of October! "Can we go? He's there," he said.

"How do you know?" asked Falman. _Why didn't you tell us?_

"I forgot what day it is today," was the boy's vague answer, but still got the two adults scrambling to their feet and onto the next train.

Falman has seen that look of certainty too many times on Mustang before to doubt it.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Riza and Roy arrived at the Resembool station and met up with Breda and Havoc who had been waiting for them in a corner hidden from public view.

"Today is apparently a special day of sorts for the Elrics," mumbled Mustang, whose forehead was creased in tension. "Kid won't say what, but this is their hometown."

Breda shifted his weight to lean against a nearby wall. "How long since they've been here?"

"Long enough." _Since their real mother died and they were sent away for adoption._

"I'll be backup, Chief," Havoc offered, "The rest can stay here." Jean Havoc was the first recruit to the Mustang-Hawkeye team.

Everyone knew Mustang even before he arrived in Eastern HQ as the youngest State Alchemist ever in the history of the military, so it was flattering for the then younger Jean Havoc to be invited for an interview. When he arrived at the office and saw Hawkeye standing quietly behind Mustang, he realized why he had gotten invited in the first place.

The legendary 'Hawk's Eye' once bumped into him at the firing range and praised his shooting skills. They talked, got to know each other, before he apologized and asked for her name. He was genuinely surprised to know how down-to-earth she was, and she was surprised how he didn't comment on her gender.

Since then, Havoc learned how the duo operated, and knew they would want to deal with this situation as quietly as possible. He removed his military jacket, shrugged off the shoulder holster strapped on top of his black undershirt, then rearranged and hid his guns in various pockets of his military pants.

"Alright," agreed Roy, with him and Hawkeye following suit and getting rid of their military coats and visible weapons.

When Falman, Fuery, and Ed arrived not too long after, Hawkeye offered a small smile at Ed as she removed her hair tie and let her hair loose. She extended her hand for him to take, and said, "Lead the way. Jean's going to accompany us."

Ed hung his head low and eased his hand into Riza's. "Okay. This way."

When the train station was but a blip in the background, Roy asked, "Are we sure it's okay to go to him now?" He wasn't blind to the possibility that Al may have ran away. He also wasn't insensitive so as not to feel Breda having a similar theory.

"Yeah, it's - I forgot, but it's mom's birthday and we haven't returned since…" he spared a glance at Riza, who squeezed his hand as an assurance it was okay. "Since years ago," Ed finished.

Jean snuck a glance at Hawkeye and noted her slightly hunched shoulders and her slow, heavy footsteps. Strangers who would see her now would assume the long walk was weighing her down, but Havoc was aware Hawkeye was as fit as could be. This was more emotional for her than she was letting on.

They reached the end of the road where two houses stood side by side and Havoc noted Roy's sudden stiff back and clenched jaw.

"I've only seen these in pictures," the General mumbled.

Riza's hand slightly shook, which Ed and Havoc noticed, but she stopped just as they arrived at the patio of what they assumed was the Elric house.

Ed let go of Riza's hand and shouted, cupping his mouth with his hands, "Yo, Al! We're here!" It reverberated to their empty surroundings, to the dismay of local birds. "Let's go!"

Jean saw Ed was putting up his own front too. Being in the presence of their childhood home after all this time was bound to spike some sort of emotion, but the kid acted unbothered like it was any other house.

When no one answered his calls, Ed turned back to the three adults. "He's probably at the cemetery." He jumped off the porch and headed up the hill near where their house stood. The child didn't look back to check if the adults were following him, he was too busy concentrating not to let tears slip through his eyes. _Brave face, brave face._

Roy silently grabbed Riza's hand and they followed their stomping child further up the hill. It didn't matter that Havoc was there, trailing behind them, they both needed this right now.

Havoc pretended not to see his superiors holding hands, Ed's futile attempts to hide the shine in his irises, Hawkeye's subtle shifts in facial expressions, or Mustang's jaw wound tight like a screw was lodged in it to keep it from moving.

They reached a large tree with gravestones emerging from the barren lands and the silhouette of a boy sitting hunched over a lone gravestone at the highest point of the cemetery.

Ed, Riza, Roy, and Jean made their way over to Al, footsteps slow and respectful of the dead around them. The only indication Al gave that he knew they were there was a mumbled, "Hi."

Havoc stopped walking a couple of meters away to give the family some semblance of privacy.

Ed knocked the top of Al's head with his fist before sitting down beside him. "You had me worried." Sparing a glance back at their adoptive parents, "You had _us_ worried."

"I miss her, brother."

The older Elric stared at their mother's gravestone. "Same, but you can't go off like this next time."

"I know." He continued his conversation with Ed, but refused to tear his gaze away from their mother's name. "I'm sorry, pop," his voice cracked, "mom."

Riza let go of her husband's hand and patted both boys on the head. "It's as good a time as any to pay our respects before we leave." She paused, feeling her throat dry up, "She gave us the two of you, after all."

Al smiled through the tears and let Ed pull him to stand up. Havoc ushered the boys to start their trek down the hill.

A gust of wind blew from behind them and Ed curiously looked back at his adoptive parents. He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light from the setting sun or not, but a warmth settled deep in his chest when he saw Roy wrap an arm around Riza's shoulders as she buried her face in the crook of his neck with tears rolling down her cheeks.

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**AN: **So this was a little difficult to write and edit. The many POVs in one chapter was harrrrd, but I hope I conveyed it well enough for you though.

'Til next time!


	8. War of Words

**AN: **It's been awhile. This is Chapter 8 of my originally 23 guaranteed chapters.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**War of Words**

"Ungh." Al crouched down by his bedroom door, hands pressed tight against his ears, trying to block out the sounds coming from his parents' room.

It was late at night and Al knew he wasn't supposed to be awake, but he couldn't sleep, so he went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. After drinking and washing the glass, he tiptoed the way he came and that was when he heard the shouting coming from the master bedroom.

He dashed to his room and shut the door quickly, finding himself in the crouching position he was in now. _What's happening? Why were they shouting at each other?_ Tears threatened to fall from his lids. It was the first time the boy witnessed something like this.

His troubled thoughts were put on hold when he was shoved to the floor as his door was forced open.

"Sorry," said Ed, closing Al's door.

Al sat upright when Ed did the same. They had a theory that sitting on the floor helps one think more clearly. "What are we going to do, brother?"

"I don't know." Ed grinded his teeth. "But if he hurts her, I swear I'll -"

"Pop won't hurt mom!" scolded Al. How can he think like that?

All Ed did was scoff and look away, focusing on the sounds coming from the next room.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

"I don't know, maybe you were out with your _boyfriend_."

_Here we go again. _He said it with such venom in his tone Riza can't help but narrow her eyes. "Really? I told you where I was going and who I was going to be with."

"You didn't tell me you were going to be out _this late_."

"Roy," she exhaled slowly, "I rarely go out with friends. Of course this took longer than expected." _Unlike your bi-weekly meet-ups with Hughes_, she thought, but bit her tongue.

"And this rare going out is an excuse to shuck on your duties."

"_As what_, exactly?" Her eyes couldn't get any narrower. "I told you I left food for you to reheat. As for the office, who was it again who delayed his paperwork until the last minute today?" _Probably so I won't go out anymore._

"Sure, because reheating is healthy!"

"What?!" He really didn't just say that, given he was the king of reheating! "So you want me to cook a new dish for every meal?"

"That would be great if it would ever happen! But no, you go out with your 'friends'." He motioned quotation marks with his fingers.

"As if this was any different from you going out with your 'sisters'." She did the same gesture with her fingers.

"Those are my sisters!"

"They're not related to you!" If he was going to be petty, she had the right to be petty as well.

"Yeah, well," he crossed his arms. "The next time you decide to play hooky on me and our children, remember I _thank you_ for weighing your priorities properly." _Shit. I did not just say that._

"_One _night out, Roy. That's all I asked for." She toned down her voice, hoping this discussion would end and she could get some sleep. She already keeps house and even works with him, did she have to be a wife and mother 24/7?

"You call this _night_?! It's twelve thirty in the _morning_!"

_So much for sleep. _She stomped her foot on the floor. "Only because you shouted at me the moment I got in!"

"Because you didn't tell me you would be out this late!"

"I told you I'd be out!" She turned her back on him, nostrils flaring, angry tears starting to line her vision as she held her purse. "Sorry I didn't know I had a freaking curfew." She grabbed the handle of their bedroom door, yanked it open, and stormed out.

Roy stormed after her, continuing their shouting match in the hallway. "And where do you think you're going?!"

"Anywhere but here!" Really, all she wanted to do after a night out was sleep and cuddle next to him instead of come home to… whatever this thing was her husband started.

Both Ed and Al's eyes widened when what followed Riza's shouting was a series of thudding sounds followed by more, albeit farther, screams. The two boys inched out of Al's bedroom and snuck a glance at the living room where their parents were still screaming at each other.

Riza's fingers grasped the knob of their front door. What was she doing? Where was she going?

Roy scoffed behind her. "Sure, because that will get your duties in order."

She angled herself in a way she could look at him without letting go of the knob. "What do you want me to do, Roy? The last time I went out with friends was two months ago." Was it so unreasonable for her to enjoy every now and then? She curled her toes inside her shoes to control her voice lest she scream at him again. "I cook, I clean, I do the laundry, I fold and iron it all, I take care of you and the boys… I work _for _you in all facets of my life. Is it so hard to ask for _half _a day for myself?"

"I want you to come home on time!"

_Great._ Without another word, Riza gripped the door knob and walked out of her home.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

"In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have walked out on him." She found herself knocking on Rebecca's apartment at two in the morning and was grateful her friend didn't have a visitor.

"He's lucky you walked out, I would have shot him." She wasn't a big fan of Mustang, even if she was Riza's Maid of Honor at their wedding. Like most men in the military, Mustang had the tendency to be sexist.

"I just… exploded." She sighed. "What's odd is we have this argument every time I go out. I should have weathered it out like always. You know, kept quiet."

"Wait…" she held up her hand, "_every time_?"

Riza nodded. "It's just the way it is."

"Oh, hell no." Rebecca pointed a finger close to the blonde's nose. "You've been with him since you were 18 and -"

"16," she corrected her friend.

"Huh?"

"I've been with him since I was 16."

Rebecca's jaw dropped open. "And he _still _can't trust you when we go out?" Riza only had one group of friends that didn't involve Mustang: their sniper unit back in the Academy composed of her and Riza with six other men they treated like brothers. While they often came out to drink every week, Riza only joined them every other month or so.

"I don't know." She didn't want to believe it was a lack of trust. They wouldn't be working the way they did if they didn't trust each other.

"It's a yes or no question, hun." Uncertainty did not look good on Riza Hawkeye-Mustang.

"I think it's harmless jealousy." Sure they have this fight every time she goes out with Becca and the others, but it always resolves itself after a little while.

"Harmless that makes you come running here at a godforsaken hour."

She crossed her arms. "I didn't… _run_."

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

The days that followed in the Mustang office were so tense the men rotated their break times in order to get out of the office as often as possible. The couple noticed, of course, but they were too wrapped into their refusal to talk to each other to address the situation.

When the clock struck the end of the day, four chairs scraped as one and Havoc, Breda, Fuery, and Falman dashed out the door.

Riza followed, her bag slung on her shoulder, but Roy stopped her. "I brought the car today." He knew she walked to and from work since their fight to avoid riding with him, but he figured it was time to smooth things over with her.

"Can't wait a second longer. I have other _duties _I have to get in order."

"Ri -" but she was out the door before he got another syllable out.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Ed and Al stood watch as their adoptive mother stomped all over the kitchen, clattering cooking tools against pans and throwing used items in the sink with a grunt each time. When she finished cooking dinner, she set the table the same way - as noisily as possible.

"Eat," she told them then walked out of the kitchen.

The boys flinched in their seats when they heard the door of the guest room slam close. They munched down their still-hot food when the front door opened and their father walked in.

"Wel… come home," greeted Al, side-eyeing Ed when he noticed Roy's sour mood.

Roy plopped down on a seat and served himself a plate. The only sounds heard were the clinking and scraping of spoons and forks against plates.

Al gulped when he was done. Were they supposed to keep eating, or pretend to, while their pop finished his meal?

Luckily for the younger Elric, Ed had a plan for him. He took their plates and put them in the sink with a quick, "Al still has homework. Don't you, Al?"

Realizing it was his cue to leave, the boy dashed out of the kitchen.

Roy huffed upon seeing the back of Al's head disappear. He couldn't blame him for wanting to avoid the tense atmosphere. He checked the time and shot to his feet, hastily gathering the rest of the plates and dumping them in the full sink. Rolling his sleeves up, he made quick work washing and drying the sink's contents.

"What are you doing?" asked Ed.

"Dishes." It was absurd, but he didn't know how to apologize to his wife. Maes told him to "man up and just say it" as if it was that easy when Riza caged herself up in the guest room. He figured the first step to earning her forgiveness was lightening her workload.

"Did you hit her?" With his secret fear of Riza's temper in the past days, Ed was too afraid of broaching the topic with his adoptive mother. Maybe Roy would be more receptive to his questions.

"Never, kid." He sighed, this was going to be another long night ruminating and debating with himself. Ed already thought the worst of him, now he was entertaining the possibility of him hitting his wife?

"Thank you."

He twisted his neck from the sink to check if he heard it correctly.

"I know it's not my business," Ed dug his hands into his pockets as he backed away from the kitchen, "but I can't forgive you if you lay a hand on her, even if it was her fault."

He smiled despite himself.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Riza eyed the clock and judging from the sound of doors opening and closing earlier, she figured Roy and the boys finished their dinner. She got up and left the room to do the dishes, though the sight of her husband's broad back stopped her in her tracks.

He sighed every now and then, scrubbing away the last of the remnants of the previously full sink. He didn't know what washed over him. Riza certainly deserved to go out with friends like he did, why did he get so angry? His aunt would smack him upside the head if she heard him that night.

She furrowed her brows. It's been awhile since Roy last did the dishes. Why was he doing this now? She willed herself to move before he noticed she was there, but confusion and curiosity glued her to the floor.

He muttered under his breath, frustration bubbling inside him. He knew who she was going to be with and he knew it was uncalled for to tell her she was neglectful. Was it an issue of trust, like Maes suggested? Of course not! Riza was loyal; even after he'd been gone for years to get his State Alchemist certification, she waited for him and even stepped in when he had to get out of Grand's command. _So why can't I wait a few hours while she's out with friends?_

When she heard his muttering, she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "I'm in-charge of the dishes, at least during the weekdays." During weekends, she made Ed and Al do them to teach them responsibility.

Roy stiffened and turned around. His wife always did have an uncanny ability to sneak up on anyone. Why did he think he could accomplish this behind her back? "Riza, I…" _I'm sorry. Just say it, damn it!_

Her gaze strayed to the dish rack. It didn't need a State Alchemist to figure out this was his way of starting to make amends.

He dried his hands on a nearby towel - how was Riza so efficient in every aspect of their lives? - and faced her fully. _Sorry. I'm sorry. Man up, Roy. Sheesh. Say it._

She pushed herself off the wall and closed the gap between them.

Roy braced himself to be punched only to be caught in surprise when her fingers, light as feathers, caressed his cheek.

"Words were said - "

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, his tongue nearly tripping over itself.

"I didn't appreciate them, but," she smiled, "I'll still love you in the morning after all is said and done."

* * *

**AN: **I hope everyone is keeping safe. A small life update: I finally passed the Bar exams, so I'm not sure how this will affect my already slow updates. I still plan to finish the 23 chapters I outlined ahead of time, then time and inspiration will tell if I continue adding based on some of your lovely suggestions.

For now, sending love!


	9. Fight the Good Fight

**AN: **I envisioned this chapter with Ed and Al at 16 and 15 years old, respectively, so they're a bit more grown up than they are in the other chapters.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Fight the Good Fight**

"Mom, what the fuck?!"

Riza glared at Ed, which froze the teenager in his tracks. "Language." Even if she was chained to her hospital bed, she would not hesitate to slap him upside the head for that foul tongue. "Sit down."

He huffed to hide his embarrassment but did what he was told. "Where's pop?"

"He went South to finish booking the guy we were chasing. And Al?"

"With Mr. Curtis." He narrowed his eyes. "Why did you go to work today?"

She shrugged. "I felt fine."

"Your standards versus the doctor's standards of fine are widely different, then."

She forced a smile at him, hoping to ease his worry with the knowledge his caustic tongue was the way he hid his concern. "This is nothing. They're discharging me as we speak." She was careless today, fainting in the middle of the corridor with a wide range of spectators; so whatever stories Ed heard on the way would have been exaggerated.

"Nothing compared to what he puts you through," he mumbled. Despite the years having caught on them and his admiration of his adoptive father, he still resented what he believed was Riza's blind devotion.

She schooled her expression. "Ed." He knew better than to blame Roy for what happened to her today. One of the first things they were taught in training was if one starts to feel faint, that person should sit down and secure their head. Today was her fault.

He met her gaze head on. "So why did you go to work today?" he asked again.

As was her realization all these years, it was better to answer Ed's questions without mincing words. "Roy had a lead on this guy. Two snipers are better than one."

"Even if you were dizzy when you woke up?"

_Who told you that? _But she knew better than to ask it out loud at the risk of sounding defensive. "I stood up too quickly this morning."

He scoffed. "I wonder which will get you killed faster: your loyalty or your stubbornness?"

"You ever believe in someone so much you never think it's an option?" Riza's face blanked, her lips set on a thin line. "It's not wrong to fight for what you believe in. It's not the first time I got sick _or hurt_ and it won't be the last, but we'll get through it like we always do."

_No, but… _The teen grit his teeth. He knew that, of course. He and Al got used to seeing either Riza or Roy going home with a new injury. What he can't fathom is _why_. He knew they were doing what they think is best for them, and what they think is best for the greater good. _But is it really worth the self-sacrifice? _Did his adoptive parents think they can do this forever? They were not getting any younger.

There might come a day they won't get out of a mission with only some 'minor' injury… There might come a day they won't come home at all and he shuddered to think his adoptive mother was pushing her luck too far.

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

"I'm home," called out Roy as he discarded his boots by the doorway and slipped into his comfortable pair of house slippers. He checked the clock and saw it was a few minutes past the boys' curfew, which meant Riza was -

"Shh."

He smirked. The mild scolding came from the living room. "Hello," he said when he sat beside her on the couch after placing a kiss on her temple.

"Hmm."

Roy clicked his tongue. He knew that sound. "Ed gave you a tough time today?" He had no choice but to ask the hospital to call in Ed while he and the rest of the team nabbed their crook.

"It's so hard to think they're growing up." She viewed her husband from the corner of her eye. "He tried to scold me today."

He crossed his arms. "Well, I'd scold you too."

"But you're my husband, he's my…" she cleared her throat, "son." The word oddly remained familiar, yet foreign at the same time.

"He means well." Despite the rough behavior, Ed was a typical elder sibling - the burden of being a good example to Al weighing heavy on his shoulders, with the hidden desire to make them proud in everything that he did topped off with overall concern for his family at all times. In being so, he was not as accustomed to showing affection as Al.

Her nose wriggled. "I know."

/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/

Ed found Riza at the shooting range inside military headquarters. With their adoptive parents' positions, he and Al were able to acquire military passes which allowed them to enter and exit HQ without a problem. Originally, they only wanted the passes to gain access to the military library without having to contact Roy or Riza every time; but now, it served as access to the hospital too for when either of them get injured or the range or office if they wanted to hitch a ride home.

As expected during this time of day, his adoptive mother was in her favorite booth at the range. Ed stayed a good distance away, enough for him to see her, but not enough for her to know she had company. He and Al learned the hard way, a couple of times, that Riza had a certain distance radius for sensing people.

He observed her empty a round of bullets, then reload, and do the same routine all over again.

Her voice pierced through his musings. _"You ever believe in someone so much you never think it's an option?"_The teen shook his head, refocusing his attention on his mother shooting yet another round of bullets. It is impossible to trust in someone that much, and even if it was, trusting some_one_ won't stop some_thing _from hurting a person.

Unbidden, his memory pulled her voice again, _"Trust is an art more than a science."_

His fists clenched at his sides. Even if she did believe a lot in her husband, even if she trusted him more than her own voice telling her a different thing, what makes her so sure she was fighting a winning battle by following him?

"Hey."

Ed nearly tripped on his own feet as he backed away from Riza's palm on his shoulder. "M-mom." He had a fleeting thought that his theory about her 'distance radius' was off.

"I'm pretty sure you're not here to ask about guns." Between the two boys, Al had been the one more curious about her arsenal.

"I wanted to see if you were okay."

"I appreciate your concern, really, but it was just an off day," she tapped his elbow, "Let's go home."

"An off day in the endless days." He grit his teeth, unable to contain the question any longer. "Why? Why are you still here?"

She clicked her tongue. "Your father and I have a job to do." The side of her lip curled up. "Pay the bills."

"No," he exhaled with more force than was necessary, avoiding eye contact, "I mean _here _in the military. You're not getting any younger and you… haven't you done enough?" To be fair to their pop, a lot of good things occurred in the State Alchemist Program that it reportedly trickled down to the rest of the military. But wasn't that enough? What about one good deed creating a ripple and all those anecdotes their values education teacher kept on spouting when they were younger?

"You should've left when you had the chance," he spat out, allowing his emotions to take over. He _knew _he had to respect her decisions, her choices. He _knew _he should be happy their marriage was as intact as could be despite the imperfect set-up. _But… But still… _

"Edward." Riza eased a hand on the young man's shoulder. She poked his cheek with the same hand. "Come on. Let me show you something." She led him to the mezzanine overlooking the range where a lone window stood at the far corner. "Do you see that platoon?"

He nodded, following her line of sight. From the window, he saw a group of soldiers on the ground doing drills, their Commanding Officer audibly barking orders.

"Let's say everyone in that platoon thinks they have, in your words, 'done enough' and quit right there. What do you think would happen?"

"The… platoon won't have soldiers?"

"Once everyone else agrees with them and thinks they've done enough, what do you think would happen to a military government without soldiers?"

He furrowed his brows. That's impossible. There were always men and women, either desperate or idealistic, signing up to be soldiers.

Riza nudged his side. "Humor me."

"No one would be left to do soldiers' tasks like keeping an eye on people."

She smirked. "I'm not as intelligent as your father, or you and Al. I have no great destiny etched somewhere because I can't do alchemy. I'm just…" she sighed, "me, like everyone else. Normal. Ordinary."

Ed would beg to differ, but refused to correct her. To call Riza Mustang 'ordinary' was the lie of all lies. The woman had one of the highest shooting accuracy rates in the entire military, after all.

"But we all have something to do while we're alive, you know? You alchemists are 'there for the people', but the people have to help themselves too."

"I suppose this is the part you tell me we all have a role to play in this circle of life." He turned away from the window and looked at her. "I refuse to think your role is to be reduced as a shadow of pops, though."

"I understand why you think that, but I chose this, you know?"

Oh, Ed knew. He definitely knew. It didn't mean he won't question it though. "You're a strong woman." He shook his head. "_Why_?"

"Your pops is trying to do good, and fortunately or unfortunately, there is no end to that."

He tilted his head, processing her words. Fighting an endless fight sounds exhausting.

"It's never going to be 'enough'," she paused, mulling over her next words carefully, "because we both are fighting the good fight." The teen had to understand even if it was Roy's plan, Roy's goals and ideals, she was a willing participant in all of this. She was neither a victim nor a mere follower, she was a fighter.

* * *

**AN: **I have a reignited respect for FF writers. I don't know how they can regularly post and update their multi-chapter works.

Anyway, I hope everyone is keeping safe and sane in this trying time.

'Til next time!


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